UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


FELIX  MENDELSSOM-BARTHOLDY 

A 

SOCIAL  AND  ARTISTIC  BIOGRAPHY 


ELISE  POLKO 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN 

BY 

LADY  WALLACE 


ADDITIONAL    LETTERS   ADDRESSED    TO 
ENGLISH   CORRESPONDENTS 


NEW   YORK 

LEYPOLDT    &    HOLT 
1869 


MUSICAL  LITERATURE. 


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POLKO'S  MUSICAL  SKETCHES,     i  vol.,  i6mo 175 

POLKO'S  REMINISCENCES  OF  MENDELSSOHN,     i  vol i  75 

MOZART:  A  BIOGRAPHICAL  ROMANCE,     i  vol.,  i2mo.  ...  i  50 

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The  above  (with  the  exception  of  the  last  two)  are  all  beautifully 
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gether a  handsome  little  Musical  Library.  They  will  be  sent  by 
mail,  post  paid,  on  receipt  of  the  advertised  price. 


IN  PREPARA  TION. 
EHLERT'S  LETTERS  ON  MUSIC. 

ROBERT    SCHUMANN'S    WRITINGS    ON   ^MUSICAL 
LITERATURE. 

LA  MARA'S  ESSAYS  IN  MUSICAL  BIOGRAPHY  AND 
CRITICISM. 


LEYPOLDT  &  HOLT,  (Publishers, 

451  BROOME  ST.,  NEW  YORK. 


Additions  of  the  best  Musical  Literature  will  be  made  from  time 
to  time,  uniform  in  style  with  the  letters  of  Mendelssohn,  etc 


A  L_ 
M  I  O 


PEEFACE 
BY    THE    TRANSLATOR. 


IN  presenting  to  the  public  an  English  ver- 
sion of  Madame  Polko's  "Reminiscences  of 
Mendelssohn,"  the  Translator  feels  assured 
that  it  will  be  gladly  welcomed,  from  the  sym- 
pathy felt  in  every  detail  connected  with  that 
illustrious  Master.  Some  valuable  letters  hith- 
erto unpublished,  and  written  in  English,  are 
added  to  those  collected  by  Madame  Polko, 
contributed  by  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Mounsey 
Bartholomew,  the  widow  of  Mr.  Bartholomew, 
who  wrote  the  English  libretti  of  the  "  Elijah," 
"  Athalie,"  "Antigone,"  "  CEdipus,"  and  many 
other  works  of  Mendelssohn. 

The  Secretary  to  the  "  Harmonic  Society," 
Mr.  Brewer,  has  been  so  good  as  to  contribute 
three  letters  on  the  subject  of  the  first  perfor- 
mance of  the  "Elijah,"  by  that  Society;  and 
to  the  family  of  the  late  Mr.  Joseph  Moore,  the 


4  PREFACE    BY   THE    TRANSLATOR. 

public  are  indebted  for  a  correspondence  on 
the  subject  of  the  Birmingham  Festivals  of 
1840  and  1840. 

Dr.  Storndale  Bennett  lias  authorized  the 
publication  of  a  letter  from  M.  Ferdinand 
David,  written  at  the  time  of  the  gifted  Mas- 
ter's lamented  death. 

The  letter  to  Mr.  Novello  was  lithographed 
at  the  time,  or  private  circulation,  but,  being 
comparatively  little  known,  it  is  included  in 
this  collection.  The  one  addressed  to  Madame 
Ertmann  is  extracted  from  "  Die  Ton-Halle," 
a  musical  paper,  in  which  it  recently  appeared. 
It  is  the  only  one  written,  in  German. 

The  extracts  from  a  correspondence  with 
the  late  Mr.  Coventry,  on  the  subject  of  Sebas- 
tian Bach's  Organ  Sonatas,  are  of  mush,  in- 
terest. 


PREFACE. 


I  HAVE  attempted  in  this  little  work  to  fur- 
nish a  kind  of  commentary  on  the  precious 
legacy  of  Mendelssohn's  Letters,  and  likewise 
a  sketch  of  his  biography,  the  full  completion 
of  which  is,  we  are  told,  to  be  reserved  for  a 
later  period.  The  materials  consist  of  written 
and  spoken  details  gathered  from  the  dearest 
friends  of  the  departed  one,  and  also  from  the 
reminiscences  of  a  girl,  at  that  time  very 
young,  in  whose  life  the  appearance  of  the 
ever-memorable  Mendelssohn  formed  a  brilliant 
epoch.  Particular  dates  are  taken  from  the 
sketches  by  Wilhelna  Lampadina,  which  ap- 
peared immediately  after  the  death  of  Men- 
delssohn. 

However  kindly  my  applications  for  infoi- 
mation  were  received  wherever  I  sought  it,  and 
however  great  the  readiness  and  amiability 
that  supplied  me  with  the  hitherto  unpublished 


6  PREFACE. 

letters  of  Mendelssohn  in  the  Appendix,  still  I 
soon  saw,  with  all  my  devotion  to  the  work  I 
had  undertake!],  the  inexpressible  difficulty  of 
collecting  correct  and  minute  details  on  the 
subject  of  one  so  recently  vanished  from  our 
sight,  and  of  verifying  such  communications. 
By  how  many  kindly  scruples  are  survivors 
actuated ! — how  timidly  are  questions  with  re- 
gard to  the  deceased  both  asked  and  answered  ! 
and,  consequently,  how  restricted  must  that 
hand  be,  which  would  so  gladly  depict  the 
exact  resemblance  of  so  noble  and  lovable  a 
form,  worthy  to  become  the  property  of  the 
world  at  large !  This  same  reverent  reserve 
that  shrinks  from  lifting  the  folds  of  that  mys- 
terious veil  which  the  hand  of  the  Angel  of 
Death  casts  here  below  over  departed  humanity, 
has  caused  many  a  delicate  trait  that  I  would 
fain  have  preserved,  to  be  effaced  in  this  por- 
trait. 

Although  the  eyes  of  those  Avho  had  the 
happiness  of  standing  in  nearer  relationship 
with  the  departed  one  may  discover  shortcom- 
ings and  deficiencies  in  this  picture,  and  some- 


PREFACE.  7 

times  miss  a  certain  blending  of  color,  one 
tiling  at  least  all  must  and  will  acknowledge — 
that  it  is  painted  con  amore  in  tho  fullest  sense 

of  the  phrase. 

ELISE  POLKO. 

MINDEX,  February,  1868. 


CO^TEKTS. 


I.  INTRODUCTION-YOUTH 9 

II.  DUSSELDORF 47 

m.  LEIPZIG, 73 

IV.  FRANKFORT -ON-THE-MAINE 82 

V.  PERSONAL  REMINISCENCES, 110 

VI.  BERLIN, 132 

VII.  IN  LEIPZIG  ONCE  MORE, 143 

VI11.  EXCURSIONS 209 

IX.  TIIE  CLOSE 234 


APPENDIX  No.  I., 266 

APPENDIX  No.  II., 284 

APPENDIX  No.   III., 312 

APPENDIX  No.  IV., 323 

APPENDIX  No.  V......  .  332 


REMINISCENCES  OF  MENDELSSOHN 


CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION YOUTH. 

Methinks  my  listening  spirit  hears 
Sweet  melody  of  chiming  bells  I 

THE  chimes  of  remembrance  are  this  day 
ringing  in  my  heart,  and  it  is  amidst  their 
sounding  and  ringing  that  I  take  up  my  pen 
to  write  this  little  book.  It  is  a  woman  who 
here  speaks  of  a  great  departed  one,  and  whose 
head  and  hand  attempt  for  the  first  time  to 
delineate  him.  Not  that  we  either  are,  or  as- 
pire to  be,  historical  painters.  We  are  minia- 
ture painters,  and  do  not  pretend  to  execute 
frescoes  in  a  grand  style  ;  most  frequently,  we 
either  sketch  in  crayons,  or  paint  on  ivory,  and 
yet  the  world  is  compelled  to  admit,  in  our 
praise,  that  we  succeed  in  seizing  the  most 
delicate  contours  of  a  head,  and  in  reproduc- 


10  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

ing  its  softest  tints  and  most  tender  lines. 
Many  rooms  have  not  space  enough  for  a  life- 
sized  portrait ;  while  a  little  sketch,  or  a  medal- 
lion, everywhere  finds  a  niche,  like  a  flower 
placed  within  the  leaves  of  a  song  or  prayer- 
book,  in  memory  of  the  bright  summer-time, 
when  it  first  bloomed. 


FELIX    MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

On  the  8th  of  February,  182^,  old  Zelter,  in 
Berlin,  wrote  to  Gothe  : — "  Yesterday,  Felix's 
fourth  Opera,  with  dialogue  all  complete,  was 
performed  by  us.  There  are  three  acts,  which, 
including  two  ballets,  occupy  about  two  hours 
and  a  half.  The  work  was  very  well  received. 
In  my  poor  judgment,  I  cannot  master  my 
astonishment  that  a  boy,  only  just  fifteen, 
should  advance  with  such  rapid  strides.  Every- 
where we  find  novelty,  beauty,  originality- 
thorough  originality— intellect,  facility,  repose, 
euphony,  completeness,  dramatic  power,  and 
the  solidity  besides  of  an  experienced  hand. 
The  orchestra  interesting,  neither  oppressive 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  1 1 

nor  wearisome,  but  merely  forming  an  accom- 
paniment. The  musicians  play  it  with  good- 
will, and  yet  it  is  by  no  means  easy.  What 
seems  familiar  to  our  ear  comes  and  passes 
away,  not  as  a  plagiarism,  but  as  welcome  and 
appropriate  in  its  place — sprightliness,  vivacity 
without  haste,  tenderness,  refinement,  love, 
passion,  simplicity.  The  overture  is  a  singu 
lar  composition,  reminding  one  of  a  painter 
who  dashes  colors  on  his  canvas,  and  then 
works  away  at  the  mass,  with  his  brush  and  his 
fingers,  till  at  length  a  group  comes  to  light,  so 
full  of  truth,  that  in  surprise  you  strive  to  dis- 
cover what  incident  had  occurred  to  produce 
it.  I  speak,  indeed,  like  a  grandfather  who 
spoils  his  grandchild  ;  but  I  well  know  what  I 
am  saying,  nor  have  I  said  anything  that  I  can- 
not prove.  First  of  all,  by  the  ample  praise 
bestowed  on  it,  best  tested  by  its  reception 
from  the  members  of  the  orchestra  and  the 
singers,  in  whom  we  can  quickly  discern 
whether  coldness  and  repugnance,  or  love  and 
good- will,  inspire  their  fingers  and  their  throats. 
You  must  know  what  I  mean.  As  words  of 


12  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN". 

sympathy  please  him  to  whom  they  are  ad- 
dressed, so  is  it  with  the  composer  who  places 
before  the  performer  what  he  can  succeed  in, 
and  who  with  equal  enjoyment  imparts  it  to 
others.  I  think  this  thoroughly  explains  it  all." 
In  the  autumn  of  this  same  year,  Tgnaz  Mos- 
cheles  gave  his  first  concert  in  Berlin.  He 
came  from  London,  where  he  was  highly  es- 
teemed, and  had  been  induced  to  take  up  his 
abode.  A  vast  reputation  preceded  this  vir- 
tuoso and  composer,  scarcely  yet  thirty  years 
of  age  ;  the  excitement  to  hear  him  was  very 
great,  and  the  elite  of  an  elegant  and  musical 
society  filled  the  hall.  Moscheles  played  Bach, 
BeetHoven,  Mozart,  and  lastly,  a  pianoforte 
Concerto  in  E-flat  major,  of  his  own  composi- 
tion. This  celebrated  artist  caused  an  extra- 
ordinary sensation  by  his  finished  execution 
and  admirable  rendering.  Among  his  hearers 
was  a  boy  of  fifteen,  who,  in  breathless  excite- 
ment, followed  every  passage  and  every  note. 
His  handsome  face  was  flushed,  his  dark  eyes 
sparkled  with  enthusiasm.  It  was  Felix  Men- 
delssohn-Bartholdy. 


INTRODUCTION — YOUTH.  13 

In  spite  of  all  his  watchfulness,  lie  occasion- 
ally cast  a  bright  glance  at  a  tall  man  with  a 
genuinely  musical  forehead,  who  never  failed 
to  respond  to  his  eager  look  by  a  smile  and  nod 
of  sympathy.  Though  evidently  a  stranger, 
this  personage  appeared  to  be  the  object  of 
much  observation.  Indeed,  when  Moscheles 
had  finished  playing,  he  at  once  went  up  to 
him,  and,  holding  out  his  hand,  asked  him  in  a 
cordial  tone,  "Are  you  satisfied,  Herr  Kapell- 
meister ?  "  "  Satisfied  !  my  dear  friend,  allow 
me  to  embrace  you.  You  played  gloriously  !  " 
It  was  the  far-famed  Hummel,  from  Peters- 
burg, on  his  way  to  Paris,  who  said  these 
words,  and  thus  heartily  admired  his  young 
colleague.  After  the  concert,  a  select  circle  of 
congenial  souls  assembled  at  the  Mendelssohns' 
house,  where  there  was  a  gay  supper  given  in 
honor  of  Hummel  and  ^[oscheles;  and  surely 
the  round  table,  where  those  guests  now  ban- 
queted, was  not  a  less  illustrious  one  than  that 
of  King  Arthur  of  old.  The  two  principal 
guests  sat  beside  the  respected  host  and  the 
intellectual  hostess.  The  other  celebrities  were 


14:  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Zelter,  Berger,  Bemhard  Klein,  Robert  (the 
two  last  accompanied  by  their  young  and 
handsome  wives),  and  likewise  the  four  bloom- 
ing children  of  the  family — Fanny,  Felix,  Re- 
becca, and  Paul.  All  were  so  gay  and  ani- 
mated during  supper,  that  even  the  delicate 
pensive  face  of  Ludwig  Berger  brightened. 
Hummel,  who,  when  with  those  spmpathetic 
to  his  nature,  was  the  most  cheerful  and  witty 
of  men,  could  not  fail  to  feel  thoroughly  at 
home  here,  where  dazzling  flashes  of  wit 
played  around  the  golden  wine.  Amusing 
adventures  of  artists  and  incidents  of  travel 
were  related,  and  hearty  laughter  resounded, 
while  they  chatted  on,  devoid  of  all  restraint. 
Suddenly  Felix  rose,  and  gliding  round  the 
table  to  his  father,  whispered  a  few  words  in 
his  ear ;  he  nodded  kindly  in  assent ;  and  when 
the  boy  returned  to  his  place,  in  the  midst  of 
the  universal  gayety,  he  raised  his  glass,  ex- 
claiming in  an  excited  voice,  "  To  the  health  of 
the  composer  of  the  E-flat  major  Concerto  !  " 

At  a  late,  very  late  hour,  they  all  repaired 
to   the   music-room.      Who    could   have    felt 


INTK<  )I)l  tTIOX YOUTH.  15 

weary  in  such  society !  The  presence  of  the 
one  stimulated  the  other.  At  the  sight  of  the 
pianoforte  and  music-desks,  the  conversation 
took  a  higher  flight.  The  most  important 
subjects  connected  with  art,  and  their  beloved 
music,  formed  the  sole  topic  from  that  moment. 
Bernhard  Klein,  just  returned  from  a  journey 
to  Italy,  spoke  with  enthusiasm  of  the  land  of 
song,  and  of  the  musical  treasures  in  the 
archives  shown  to  him  by  the  Papal  Kapell- 
meister Baini.  Mean  \vhile  Zelter,  with  his 
rough  bass  voice,  sang,  to  the  universal  delight 
of  all  present,  "  Sanct  Paulus  war  ein  Medi- 
cus ; "  Ludwig  Berger,  a  player  full  of  soul, 
attempted,  in  spite  of  his  crippled  arm,  a  move- 
ment from  his  new  F  major  Sonata  ;  Moscheles 
played  an  astonishing  Bravura;  and  lastly, 
Hummel  extemporized  on  a  theme  of  Mozart's. 
Ludwig .  Tieck  says,  "  Evening  softens  and 
melts  the  feelings,  awaking  presentiments  and 
mysterious  sensations  in  the  artist,  who  then 
more  forcibly  feels  that  beyond  this  life  there 
rxists  within  him  another,  more  fruitful  in  art ; 
and  his  inner  genius  often  spreads  its  wings. 


16  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

from  the  longing  to  attain  freedom,  and  to  take 
flight  into  the  land  that  lies  behind  the  golden 
clouds  of  evening." 

It  was  emotions  such  as  these  that  vibrated 
in  the  playing  of  Hummel's  lofty  yearning 
spirit  on  that  evening.  During  all  this  won- 
drous variety  of  performances,  the  handsome 
boy,  in  a  jacket,  stood  modest  and  motionless 
beside  the  piano,  a  worthy  study  for  a  painter. 
His  delicate  features  lit  up  with  inspiration,  he 
listened  with  burning  cheeks,  while  his  eyes 
never  quitted  the  hands  of  the  players. 

At  the  close  of  Hummel's  enchanting  Fan- 
tasia, old  Zelter,  suddenly  breaking  in  on  the 
tender  mood  that  had  taken  possession  of  the 
company,  placed  his  hand  on  the  shoulder  of 
his  young  pupil,  saying  playfully,  "  Come, 
Felix,  show  now  what  you  have  learned,  and 
do  some  credit  to  us,  your  teachers.  Sit  down 
and  play  whatever  comes  into  your  head." 

The  stranger  guests  eagerly  urged  compli- 
ance with  this  proposal,  and  the  boy  was 
assailed  on  every  side ;  but  he  became  paler 
and  paler  ;  and  at  last,  with  imploring  looks, 


—  Yornr.  17 

declared  most  positively  that  he  would  not 
play.  A  refusal  of  this  kind  was  unprece- 
dented, and  excited  great  surpnVe.  "  What 
on  earth  is  the  matter  with  yon,  boy  ?"  ex- 
claimed Zelter,  in  his  uncouth  fashion;  "are 
you  going  to  show  the  white  feather,  after 
playing  fearlessly  in  grand  concerts,  and  before 
our  Gothe  in  Weimar?  AVhat  must  I  write 
to  him  about  you  ? — that  you  have  become  a 
poltroon  ? "  "  Oh  !  at  that  time  I  did  not 
rightly  know  what  I  was  doing,"  answered 
Felix,  in  a  faltering  voice;  "but  now  I  can 
only  say  that,  after  those  t\vo  there,"  glancing 
with  swimming  eyes  at  Hummel  and  ]\Ios- 
cheles,  "I  neither  can,  nor  ought  to  play." 
and,  bursting  into  a  flood  of  tears,  he  rushed 
out  of  the  room. 

Xi-xt  morning,  Moscheles  received  a  charm- 
ing note  from  Fran  Mendelssohn,  in  which  she 
earnestly  entreated  him  to  give  instructions  on 
the  piano,  during  his  stay  in  Berlin,  to  her  two 
eldest  children,  Fanny  and  Felix,  and  thus  to 
fulfill  the  eager  longing  of  the  boy,  who,  since 
the  previous  evening,  had  perpetually  dreamt 


18  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

of  the  E-flat  major  Concerto  ;  and  she  added  : 
"  Felix  begs  me  urgently  to  ask  you  to  allow 
him  to  see  that  composition,  as  he  is  so  anxious 
to  ascertain  how  those  difficulties  that  so 
greatly  excite  his  surprise  can  be  executed." 

Moscheles,  forthwith,  sent  the  MS.  to  his 
youthful  admirer,  with  a  few  kind  words,  and 
the  assurance  that  it  would  give  him  peculiar 
pleasure  to  superintend  the  musical  studies  of 
himself  and  his  sister.  He  at  the  same  time 
appointed  an  hour  on  the  following  day  when 
they  might  examine  together  the  E-flat  major 
Concerto. 

That  hour  arrived,  and  Felix  received  his 
new  teacher  with  a  face  beaming  with  delight ; 
and,  seating  himself  at  the  piano,  he  played 
the  Concerto,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  lis- 
tener, in  such  a  fiery  and  spirited  manner  that 
it  brought  tears  into  the  eyes  of  the  composer. 
The  boy  occasionally  interrupted  his  playing, 
to  repeat  first  one  passage  and  then  another  of 
particular  difficulty,  asking  Moscheles,  with 
modest  anxiety,  whether  he  was  satisfied  with 
his  mode  of  executing  it.  The  latter,  however, 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  19 

could  only  embrace  the  player  in  cordial  de- 
light. 

The  alliance  now  concluded  between  these 
two  artistic  natures  was  destined  to  last  for 
life.  Moscheles  was  strongly  attracted  by  the 
boy,  and  the  instruction  he  gave  him  and  his 
clever  sister  Fanny  interested  him  so  much, 
that,  instead  of  weeks,  he  remained  months  in 
Berlin,  a  daily  guest  of  the  Mendelssohn 
family — and  what  a  family  it"  was  !  Gothe, 
says,  "  That  man  is  the  most  fortunate  who, 
whether  a  king  or  of  more  humble  origin,  finds 
happiness  provided  for  him  at  home  ;  "  and  if 
ever  a  "  fortunate  man  "  reaped  such  happiness 
in  its  fullest  measure,  it  was  Felix  Mendels- 
sohn-I>arth<)lily.  His  home  was  pervaded  by 
an  atmosphere  of  love  and  peace,  as  well  as  by 
the  highest  intellectual  culture,  in  which  the 
pinions  .of  a  youthful  soul  must  wax  strong, 
and  every  talent  be  developed  in  untarnished 
brightness. 

"  In  his  gay  early  youth,  Mendelssohn  wrote 
a  vast  deal ;  though  his  labors  were  not  toil- 
some, but  rather  like  the  unintennitting  yet 


20  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

natural  growth  of  buds  and  blossoms,  while  the 
sun  that  matured  this  growth  and  increase 
was — his  parental  home.  Ever  blessed  be  such 
a  home !  ISTo  better  talisman  can  be  found 
against  the  perils  of  the  journey  of  life,  for  man 
or  woman,  than  the  memories  of  a  loving  home 
— of  the  sweet  and  incomparable  happiness 
once  our  portion  there.  Such  remembrances 
are  stronger  than  the  golden  links  of  the  chain 
on  the  falcon's  foot,  that  hold  him  fast  when 
he  would  fain  take  flight — they  gently,  but 
surely,  draw  us  back  from  far  distant  lands  into 
our  parents'  house.  Such  memories  inspire  us 
with  strength  and  courage  ;  such  a  home  is  our 
earthly  paradise — the  only  one  here  below 
from  which  we  cannot  be  driven  out.  May  a 
blessing,  then,  rest  on  those  beloved  ones  who 
prepared  for  us,  once  on  a  time,  that  happiness 
which  no  other  human  beings,  however  loving 
or  gentle,  can  ever  again  bestow  on  us — our 
father  and  mother !  .  .  .  Even  at  that  time 
an  infinitely  rich  spiritual  and  musical  life  ex- 
isted in  the  house  of  the  Mendelssohn  family, 
where  the  elite  both  of  artists  and  lovers  of  art 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  21 

met ;  the  most  brilliant  names  in  science,  art, 
and  literature  were  represented  there.  How 
often  the  two  Ilumboldts  came,  Varnhagen, 
Heine,  and  those  young  violin  virtuosos,  Rietz 
and  David  ! — and,  in  addition,  an  ever-bloom- 
ing flora  of  the  most  attractive  and  fascinating 
fair  forms,  and  among  these  the  still  wondrousl y 
beautiful  Henrietta  Ilerz.  The  works  of  Felix 
were  all  here  first  carefully  performed  ;  it  was 
esteemed  an  honor  and  a  privilege  to  be  per- 
mitted to  take  a  part  in  any  musical  perform- 
ance at  these  celebrated  Sunday  matinees ; 
choruses  and  qtiartetts  were  sung ;  quintetts  and 
trios  executed  in  rare  perfection  ;  and  it  was  on 
one  of  these  Sunday  forenoons  that  Moscheles 
played  for  the  first  time,  with  the  most  rap- 
turous applause,  his  "Hornmage  a  Handel." 
The  young  teacher  and  his  talented  scholar, 
moreover,  played  together  daily  for  hours,  dis- 
cussing their  mutual  works,  vying  with  each 
other  in  composing,  arranging  domestic  con- 
certs, and  taking  long  walks.  Felix  showed 
the  most  grateful  devotion  and  the  most  lively 
admiration  of  Moscheles,  without,  however,  in 


22  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

the  slightest  degree  neglecting,  in  favor  of 
his  new  friend,  those  teachers  who  had  hith- 
erto instructed  him.  He  possessed  in  a  high 
decree  the  rare  and  pleasing  virtue  of  courtesy 
of  heart.  His  intercourse  with  Zelter  and 
Berger  was  cordial  and  filial,  submissive  to 
their  peculiarities,  obedient  to  their  will,  and 
modestly  subordinate  to  them  in  all  things; 
tearing  up  at  once,  without  a  sigh,  those  com- 
positions pronounced  by  Zelter  or  Klein  to 
be  insignificant,  thus  no  doubt  depriving  us 
for  ever  of  many  a  charming  piece  of  music. 
Those,  too,  who  saw  him,  with  the  most  cheer- 
ful air  in  the  world,  devoting  himself  for  hours 
to  the  invalid  Berger,  and,  in  spite  of  his  own 
sparkling  vivacity,  reading  to  him,  playing 
and  copying  music  for  him,  must  have  more 
than  admired,  they  must  have  loved  him. 

The  year  1824  closes  for  Felix  his  home  life, 
so  pleasant  and  devoid  of  cares.  The  first 
great  and  eventful  interruption  was  a  journey 
to  Paris  with  his  father,  to  see  Cherubim, 
whose  counsel  was  to  be  sought  with  regard  to 
the  future  cultivation  of  the  boy,  and  from 


r\TK(  >r>rcTiox — YOUTH.  23 

whose  own  lips  they  wished  to  hear  whether 
Felix  had  really  a  decided  vocation  for  mu>ic. 
Felix  Mendelssohn's  finely-chiseled  face,  al- 
ways the  faithful  mirror  of  his  excitable  soul, 
might  well  turn  pale  when  he  stood  in  the 
presence  of  the  composer  of  the  "Wasser- 
triiger,"  in  order  to  play  before  him,  with  the 
celebrated  Baillot,  his  G  minor  Quartette. 
Cherubim's  kindly  smile  and  warm  praise 
were  a  reward  that  made  the  young  virtuoso 
happy  beyond  measure,  and  decided  his  future 
profession  in  the  eyes  of  his  father.  It  was 
the  same  quartette  which  he  played  on  his 
way  from  Paris,  at  Gothe's  house  in  Weimar, 
and  with  regard  to  which  the  Poet-Prince  in- 
formed Zelter  that  "  Felix  produced  his  last 
quartette,  to  the  astonishment  of  every  one. 
This  audible  and  intelligible  dedication  pleased 
me  much."  A  "  Liebesschreiben "  was  en- 
closed in  this  letter  for  his  friend's  youthful 
scholar,  in  return  for  which  Felix  later  sent 
him  a  masterly  translation  of  the  "  Andrea  " 
of  Terence. 

During  the  two  following  years  he  worked 


2J:  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

much  and  hard.  Etudes  were  written,  a  Sym- 
phony-Overture, and  a  Capriccio  that  his  sis- 
ters and  his  brother  playfully  christened  "  Ab- 
surdite  ; "  the  most  brilliant  fruit  of  this  period 
being  the  Overture  to  the  "  Midsummer  Night's 
Dream." 

The  young  artist  now  entered  the  Univer- 
sity, where  he  studied  indefatigably,  attended 
Hegel's  lectures,  practised  all  chivalrous  exer- 
cises, and  continued,  as  ever,  by  his  bright 
cheerfulness  and  amiability,  the  sun  of  the 
house  and  the  idol  of  his  family.  The  gay 
student  was  daily  to  be  seen  with  a  portfolio 
under  his  arm,  a  student's  cap  on  his  dark 
curly  hair ;  and  yet,  in  spite  of  all  his  earnest 
efforts,  he  had  still  sufficient  time  and  humor 
to  mimic  inimitably,  for  the  amusement  of  his 
brother  and  sisters,  many  a  professor  with 
"pendent  queue,"  and  others  besides.  In 
spite  of  all  this,  books  of  songs  were  written, 
as  well  as  quartettes  and  sonatas,  and  the 
"  Wedding  of  Camacho "  was  performed  in 
the  family  circle.  Meanwhile,  an  expedition 
to  Stettin  took  place,  where  they  were  desirous 


INTRODUCTION* — YOUTH.  25 

to  Lave  Mendelssohn's  newest  orchestral  works. 
Repeated  performances  were  also  given  of 
Bach's  "  Passionsmusik,"  in  the  Berlin  "  Aka- 
demie,"  where,  amazed  at  the  steady  security 
of  the  young  conductor,  scarcely  twenty  years 
of  age,  they  sang  and  played  even  better  than 
under  the  iron  hand  of  Zelter  himself.  Dur- 
ing this  productive  winter,  the  apparition  of 
Paganini  was  first  seen  in  Berlin ;  and  that 
most  marvelous  of  all  artistic  phenomena 
could  not  fail  to  make  the  most  powerful  im- 
pression on  Mendelssohn,  who  poured  out  all 
his  enthusiasm,  astonishment,  and  enchant- 
ment in  an  excited  letter  to  Moscheles. 

At  the  close  of  his  University  studies,  Felix 
set  out  on  the  journey  that  had  so  long  occu- 
pied his  thoughts — an  artistic  vi>it  to  Moscheles 
in  London.  A  few  days  before  the  separation 
from  his  family,  and  for  the  consolation  of  his 
beloved  and  anxious  mother,  he  composed  his 
fascinating  Overture,  "  Meeresstille  und  gliick- 
liche  Fahrt." 

A  pleasing  group  no  doubt  assembled  round 
the  piano  when  Felix  (who  invariably  sub- 


26  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

mitted  all  his  creations  first  to  the  criticisms 
of  his  family)  played  "  Meeresstille."  Who 
can  tell  whether  that  charming  painter,  Hensel, 
Fanny's  betrothed,  may  not  have  sketched  the 
scene  ? — the  brilliant  eyes  of  his  sisters  over- 
looking the  plaver,  Fannv's  delicate  hand  turn- 

O  J.  «y  7  «/ 

ing  the  pages,  Paul  standing  beside  his  mother 
near  the  instrument,  and  the  father  reclining 
with  a  glad  face  in  his  arm-chair.  Even  the 
most  solicitous  mother's  heart  might  calmly 
intrust  her  beloved  son  to  that  glassy  sea,  for 

Athwart  the  ocean  wilderness, 
No  token  Of  a  wave. 

At  length,  with  the  anxious  mariner,  we  seem 
to  long  for  a  breeze ;  and  presently,  how  im- 
perceptibly it  ripples  the  waters,  how  gently 
it  swells  the  sails,  how  playfully  it  drives  on 
the  vessel  over  the  blue  expanse,  more  and 
more  rapidly. 

Quick !    Quick ! 
Already  I  see  land. 

Thus  the  chorus  joyfully  sings — the  loved  one 
has  reached  the  haven  —  Felix  rises  —  the 
mother  smiles,  but  tears  stand  in  her  fine 
eyes. 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  27 

Felix  took  with  him  to  London  a  rich  store 
for  his  revered  friend  and  teacher,  Moscheles — 
the  MS.  of  a  sacred  Cantata  on  a  chorale,  a  fif- 
teen-part Hora,  and  his  first  stringed  Quartette. 

The  youthful  traveler  was  received  with 
open  arms  in  Moscheles'  house.  The  young 
lovely  wife  of  his  friend,  only  sixteen,  whose 
whole  character  and  disposition  bore  the  im- 
press of  the  most  noble  feminine  nature,  greeted 
him  on  the  threshold  with  sisterly  cordiality  ; 
a  circle  of  eminent  men — Ivlingemann  among 
others,  that  poet  so  full  of  soul — welcomed  him 
rejoicingly. 

Those  were  bright  days  and  sunny  weeks 
that  he  passed  in  "  merry  old  England."  Felix 
at  that  period  made  his  first  appearance  before 
a  London  audience.  At  a  concert  crowded  to 
the  door,  the  Overture  to  the  "Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,"  was  given.  Ilenriette  Sontag, 
that  lovely  grace,  that  fascinating  salon  night- 
ingale, consented  to  let  her  sweet  voice  be 
heard,  and  Mendelssohn  played  his  Concerto 
in  E  major  for  two  pianos  with  Moscheles. 
Nowhere  is  it  recorded  which  of  these  three 


23  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

chosen  German  spirits  excited  the  loudest 
storm  of  applause  ;  it  was  indeed  a  rare  com- 
bination of  the  great  and  the  beautiful. 

Mendelssohn's  manner  and  appearance  won 
all  hearts.  He  was  then  in  all  the  "  storm 
and  stress"  period  of  youthful,  freshness,  so 
keenly  susceptible  to  all  impressions ;  lie  went 
about  with  open  eyes  and  an  open  heart,  and 
nothing  appeared  more  attractive  in  him  than 
that  genuine  and  admirable  artistic  modesty, 
which,  ever  aspiring  to  the  highest  aims,  can 
never  satisfy  itself.  The  most  tender  friend- 
ship was  formed  between  him  and  Klinge- 
mann,  with  whom  he  had  been  previously 
acquainted  in  Berlin — a  refined  noble  nature 
and  a  thoroughly  kindred  soul.  In  his  letter 
he  addresses  him  as  "  My  one  friend."  It  is  a 
charming  test  of  Mendelssohn's  heart,  that  all 
the  friendships  he  ever  formed  endured  to  the 
end  of  his  life,  and  his  interest  in  those  whom 
he  had  ever  loved  was  never  aifected  by  time 
or  space,  but  continued  in  all  its  fullness  and 
strength  to  the  last.  How  many  voices  could 
confirm  this! 


INTRODUCTION— YOUTH.  29 

From  London,  Mendelssohn  look  a  journey 
with  Klingemann  to  Scotland,  the  grand  and 
noble  scale  of  its  scenery  exciting  his  en- 
thusiasm, and  detaining  him  longer  than  was 
either  expected  or  wished  for  in  London  and 
Berlin.  Whether  the  lustrous  eyes  of  the 
lovely  Scottish  Queen  held  him  spell-bound  in 
Holyrood,  or  the  magic  power  of  Fingal's  Cave 
— cldlo  sa?  lie  returned  intoxicated  with 
delight,  while  melodies  innumerable  floated  in 
his  head  and  in  his  heart. 

The  letters  he  addressed  to  Moscheles  after 
his  return  to  Berlin,  on  the  subject  of  this  his 
first  great  artistic  journey,  and  which  are  to 
this  hour  in  the  hands  of  the  venerable  Master, 
cherished  by  him  as  an  unapproachable  and 
Micred  treasure,  are  so  full  of  delight  with  all 
he  saw  and  enjoyed,  so  charmingly  thankful, 
so  gay  and  attractive  with  their  familiar 
"  thou,"  that  we  would  fain  bestow  them  on 
the  world  at  large,  like  the  fragrance  of  ro>r-. 
or  the  sight  of  a  bed  of  flowers  in  the  morning 
sun. 

How  much  had  Felix  to  say  to  his  beloved 


30  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

ones  at  home ! — and  it  was  thus  that  the 
romantic  legend  of  Fingal's  Cave  was  brought 
to  life  and  assumed  its  present  form.  One 
day,  Rebecca  said,  "  Describe  the  fairy  to  us  !  " 
while  Fanny  playfully  added,  "  But  it  must  be 
a  long  detailed  story,  to  make  us  comprehend 
how  and  when  it  all  occurred  !  "  on  which  Felix 
answered,  "  The  legend  cannot  be  described 
by  commonplace  words,  and  you  know  that  I 
am  no  poet ;  so  I  will  play  it  over  to  you,  and 
then  you  can  tell  me  afterwards  whether  you 
saw  and  understood  it  all  thoroughly."  Fair 
hands  opened  the  well-loved  instrument,  and 
Mendelssohn  played  that  wondrous  legend 
subsequently  called  the  "  Overture  to  the  He- 
brides." For  my  part,  I  always  seem,  amid 
all  its  sportive  strains,  to  see  Mary  Stuart's 
enticing,  alluring  eyes,  as  they  looked  forth  in 
bygone  days  from  the  ivy-mantled  windows  of 
the  Palace  of  Holy  rood,  when  listening  to  the 
tones  of  her  faithful  minstrel  Rizzio's  lute. 

The  journey  to  Italy  took  place  in  1830-32. 
Thanks  to  the  kind  benefactors  who  bestowed 
on  us  the  letters  of  that  date,  we  are  made 


INTRODUCTION — YOUTH.  31 

closely  acquainted  with  those  sunny  days.  He 
who  could  lay  down  Mendelssohn's  "  Letters 
from  Italy  and  Switzerland  "  without  sincere 
and  Ji<  1 1 lift  It  gratification^  without  a  sense  of, 
I  may  say,  grateful  admiration  of  this  richly 
endowed  artistic  nature,  this  loving  human 
soul,  is  indeed  as  much  to  be  pitied  as  the 
blind,  who  can  see  no  spring,  or  the  deaf,  who 
can  hear  no  nightingale's  note. 

Otto  Gumprecht,  in  his  clever  article  on 
Mendelssohn  in  "  U nsere  Zeit,"  says,  with 
much  truth  and  beauty,  "  The  value  of  Men- 
delssohn's 'Letters,'  which  have  gained  for 
themselves  a  prominent,  place  among  the  me- 
moirs of  chosen  spirits,  is  by  no  means  based 
on  the  fact  that  they  bring  before  us  in  the 
most  vivid  reality  the  composer,  in  connection 
with  the  musical  life  of  his  day,  as  well  as  the 
development  of  the  history  of  Art ;  not  also 
merely  on  account  of  their  rich  fullness  of 
thought,  nor  the  breadth  and  variety  of  ideas 
they  present  to  us  at  every  step  ;  far  higher 
than  all  these  is  that  lofty  morality  to  be  prized 
which  impresses  its  stamp  on  all  his  revelations. 


32  KEMIXISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

The  life  and  character  here  unfolded  would 
demand  from  us  our  wannest  sympathy,  even 
if  he  of  whom  it  treats  were  not  the  creator  of 
the  music  of  the  '  Midsummer  Night's  Dream,' 
'  The  First  Walpurgis  Xight,'  and  the 
'  Elijah.'  In  the  writer  of  these  letters,  one 
of  those  gifted  natures  is  unveiled,  in  presence 
of  which  we  experience  that  pure  delight,  that 
elevating  impression  of  the  entire  harmony 
between  our  preconceived  idea  and  his  actual 
being,  which  in  most  cases  is  only  called  forth 
by  the  contemplation  of  a  work  of  art.  AVe 
are  here  under  the  magic  spell  of  an  individu- 
ality, equally  attractive  and  solid,  displaying 
every  side  of  humanity  in  its  richest  develop- 
ment, most  harmonious  proportions,  and  vivid 
reciprocal  relations." 

While  we  read  Mendelssohn's  letters,  a  suc- 
cession of  brightly-tinted  pictures  pass  before 
u*  with  a  musical  accompaniment.  First  of 
all,  the  form  of  the  "Weimar  Jupiter  tonans — 
courteous,  dignified,  amiable,  inaccessible; 
next  we  are  in  the  Munich  Theater,  seeing 
Scheduler  in  "  Fidelio  ;  "  then  comes  the  amus- 


INTK<  MHVTIOX YOUTH.  33 

ing  "  day  of  misfortunes  in  the  Bavarian 
Mountains,"  commencing  with  drawings  torn 
up,  and  ending  with  the  first  bars  of  the  A 
minor  Symphony  ;  the  splendid  Coronation  of 
the  King  of  Hungary  in  Presburg;  Venezia 
la  l>etta,  with  the  female  forms  created  by  Gior- 
gione  and  Titian  ;  presently,  "  ecco  Firenze," 
and  at  length  Home,  Naples,  Milan,  Isola 
Bella,  Switzerland.  Paris  and  London  form 
the  close. 

The  genuine  golden  ground  of  all  these  pic- 
tures is  that  of  the  heart.  AVe  next  find  Men- 
delssohn manifested  in  a  variety  of  ways  in  his 
relations  to  father,  mother,  sisters,  brother,  and 
brother-in-law,  to  his  friends,  to  nature,  and  to 
the  beautiful  world  of  God  ;  we  are  apt  to  think 
first  of  the  artist,  much  as  we  rejoice  in  the 
man,  and  yet  the  two  are,  and  ought  to  be,  in- 
separable. They  blend  in  the  most  consummate 
manner  in  these  letters,  and  no  line  is  anywhere 
perceptible  to  show  where  the  man  modestly 
withdraws,  and  the  artist  formally  appears  on 
the  scene.  It  may  perhaps  be  possible  to 

write  more  learnedly,  more  brilliantly,  or  with 
2 


34:  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

more  research,  about  Italy,  but  never  with 
greater  charm  or  warmth  of  heart ! 

No  painter,  no  biographer,  could  give  us 
such  a  graphic  portrait  of  Felix  Mendelssohn, 
or  so  faithfully  record  his  inmost  self,  as  he 
has  himself  unconsciously  done  in  these  letters. 
His  eyes,  as  they  look  forth  thence,  are  those 
genuine  childlike,  yet  artistic  eyes,  akin  to 
those  of  Raphael  and  Mozart,  so  rare  in  this 
world,  and  which  can  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  have  once  seen  them.  And  yet  we 
hear  from  his  accomplished  friend  and  travel- 
ing companion,  Theodor  Hildebrandt,  various 
details  of  that  delightful  spring  excursion  that 
we  would  fain  insert  in  the  letters,  as  a  com- 
mentary or  supplement,  which  would  reflect 
even  a  brighter  light  on  this  dear  and  noble 
man  and  artist. 

We  feel  a  certain  degree  of  emotion  when 
we  hear  that  the  two  friends  in  Amalfi  and 
Sorrento — in  the  presence  of  that  singular  and 
intoxicating  magic  world — read  with  delight 
and  enthusiasm  Jean  Paul's  "  Flegel-Jahre," 
and  that  Mendelssohn  would  gladly  have 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  35 

-waited  on  his  "  Ilillebart,''  or  "  Hollenbart," 
as  Walt  did  on  Wult ;  and  how  they  also  tried 
to  sip  tea,  only  to  look  at  each  other  and  to  say, 
laughing,  "Tea  f — we  are  not  ill  surely  ?  " 

And  then  the  Saltarcllo  by  moonlight,  oppo- 
site the  inn  at  Santa  Lucia  in  Amalfi,  and  how 
Felix  and  the  jovial  painters  danced,  while  all 
around  was  a  marvel  of  beauty  and  bright- 
ness :  and  yet  these  are  called  the  hours  of 
night — and  it  was  night  in  Amalfi.  In  the 
midst  of  the  dancing,  Mendelssohn  called  out 
to  his  friend,  "  Oh  !  that  melody  !  mark  it  well, 
you  shall  find  it  again,  in  some  shape  or  other, 
in  a  work  of  mine  ;  that  I  am  resolved  upon." 
And  Hildebrandt  did  find  it  again  in  a  move- 
ment of  the  Fourth  Symphony.  "  ]STow  listen  ! 
that  is  a  fragment  of  Italy.  Don't  you  see 
the  moon  shining  and  the  pretty  girls  danc- 
ing ? "  said  Mendelssohn,  when  subsequently 
playing  portions  of  his  great  work  to  his  former 
traveling  companion. 

A  water-color  sketch,  painted  by  Felix,  of 
the  inn  of  Santa  Lucia,  adorns  Hildebrandt's 
album.  "  It  is  executed  as  if  by  the  hand  of 


36  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

our  best  water-color  artists,"  said  this  com- 
petent judge.  We  first  learn  from  the  report 
of  his  painter  friend,  how  deep  and  glowing 
was  Mendelssohn's  interest  in  the  art  of  paint- 
ing, and  how  rich  his  endowments  in  this  res- 
pect also.  It  was  no  trifling  play,  no  filling 
up  of  idle  hours,  no  mere  attempts  ;  in  every 
pursuit  he  was  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and,  as 
in  music,  he  exhibited  in  painting  that  indus- 
try and  fiery  zeal,  which  old  Zelter,  once  in 
conversation  with  Hildebrandt,  declared  to  be 
what  he  prized  most  highly  of  all  in  his  Felix. 
"  It  is  not  his  genius  which  surprises  me  and 
compels  my  admiration — for  that  he  has  from 
God,  and  many  others  have  the  same" — (thus 
spoke  his  attached  teacher) :  "  no,  it  is  his  in- 
'  cessant  toil,  his  bee-like  industry,  his  stern 
conscientiousness,  his  inflexibility  towards  him- 
self, and  his  actual  adoration  of  Art.  He  will 
gain  a  name  in  everything  he  undertakes." 

In  Rome,  the  family  he  most  familiarly  fre- 
quented was  that  of  the  banker,  Anton  Bende- 
mann.  Professor  Julius  Hubner  was  intimate 
there,  and  also  one  of  Mendelssohn's  fdends. 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  37 

The  party  who  went  together  on  an  expedi- 
tion to  Naples  and  the  Eorromean  Isles  were : 
Director  Schadow,  with  his  wife  and  children, 
Karl  Sohn,  Eduard  Bendemaun,  Theodor  Ilil- 
debrandt,  and  Felix  Mendelssohn. 

How  charming  it  sounds  to  hear  of  Felix 
seated  at  the  piano,  extemporizing  one  day  in 
his  apartment  at  Home,  when  suddenly  a 
splendid  contralto  voice  repeated  a  theme  out 
of  his  Fantasia.  His  friends,  too,  listened.  It 
was  a  voice  that  had  often  met  their  ear  in  all 
its  melody ;  the  young  maid  of  the  landlady 
was  in  the  habit  of  singing  popular  Italian  airs 
during  her  work.  On  that  day,  however, 
Mendelssohn  started  up  in  surprise.  "  She 
sang  my  theme  quite  correctly  !  "  exclaimed  lie. 
They  opened  the  window ;  she  was  seated  on 
the  stairs  singing,  while  packing  all  sorts  of 
fruit  into  a  large  basket. 

"  Oh  !  if  I  could  only  once  hear  her  sing 
near." 

"  Call  her  in,  then." 

"  The  question  is,  will  she  come  ? " 

The  painters  were  bolder  than  the  musician, 


38  REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

mid,  after  a  short  and  playful  negotiation,  they 
persuaded  her  to  come  into  the  room.  She 
was  neither  handsome  nor  graceful,  and  rather 
shy,  but  said  she  was  willing  to  sing  her  songs. 
They  hurried  her  to  the  piano,  while  the  joy- 
ous companions  grouped  themselves  in  a  cir- 
cle, and  the  rare  contralto  voice  rose  before 
them  like  a  calm  moon.  Mendelssohn  accom- 
panied her  extempore  as  she  sang.  It  must 
have  been  a  rich  picture  and  a  rich  enjoyment. 

From  that  moment,  Mendelssohn  provided 
for  the  musical  education  of  this  girl  in  the  most 
self-sacrificing  manner,  and  the  simple  maid 
of  the  Piazza  d'Espagna  became  an  excellent 
singer.  How  often  must  she  have  remembered 
with  deep  gratitude  the  youthful  benefactor, 
whose  hand  had  led  her  out  of  obscurity  into 
the  bright  warm  light ! 

The  "  jovial  companion,"  too,  was  not  want- 
ing in  this  parti-colored  group ;  the  gallant  old 
General  Lepel  (who  in  Rome  thought  nothing 
worthy  of  notice  except  the  situation  of  the 
"  old  hole  ")  lived  in  the  same  house.  Thus  it 
came  to  pass  one  day  that  Mendelssohn  was 


INTRODUCTION — YOUTH.  39 

extemporizing,  and  went  on  and  on  playing, 
without  hearing  or  seeing  what  was  passing 
near  him ;  meanwhile  His  Excellency  had 
come  into  the  room,  attired  in  a  most  comfor- 
table dressing-gown,  and  remained  standing 
behind  the  piano,  till  the  player  took  his  hands 
off  the  keys. 

"  Ah  !  your  Excellency  !  " 

"  Good  day,  Felix.  You  did  not  perceive 
me,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  No  !  your  Excellency." 

"Singular  enough,  too.  for  I  have  been  lis- 
tening to  you  for  some  time.  Now,  Felix, 
don't  fancy  that  I  have  any  wish  to  be  able  to 
play  on  the  piano  like  you — that  would  be 
beneath  the  dignity  of  a  General — but  do  you 
know  what  I  really  should  like  ?  While  stand- 
ing here,  I  thought  that  if  I  chanced  to  be 
:is>ailed  by  bad  feelings,  I  should  be  glad  to 
breathe  them  all  away — so !  so ! — just  as  you 
have  done  in  your  strains."  How  often  was 
this  greatest  of  all  praise  from  the  lips  of  the 
old  General  playfully  quoted  by  the  friends  ? 

Judging  by  the  amount  of  songs  to  which 


40  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

this  poetical  pilgrimage  gave  rise,  the  number 
of  attractive  ladies  to  whom  they  were  doubt- 
less offered  in  homage,  seems  to  have  been 
rather  considerable — not  forgetting  to  include 
the  pious  singing  nuns  in  Rome,  who  inspired 
him  with  such  a  beautiful  chorus  for  female 
voices.  The  fascinating  Delphine  Schauroth, 
and  the  gentle  spiritual  Josephine  Lang,  alone 
emerge  distinctly  out  of  the  lovely  chaos  veiled 
in  mist.  Not  less  great,  doubtless,  was  the 
razzia  of  hearts  he  pursued  ! 

He  was  peculiarly  susceptible  to  intellect, 
charm,  and  grace,  but  the  groundwork  of  his 
whole  being  was  here  again  a  golden  ground — 
that  of  the  most  profound  and  strict  morality. 

At  cheerful  social  meetings,  after  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day,  at  gay  fetes,  the  so-called 
"  place  of  honor"  repelled  him,  being  often  be- 
tween two  pretentious  and  high-born  dames — 
(Pun  certain  age — who  condescended  with  great 
affability  to  address  the  young  musician.  How 
quickly  was  he  seized  with  a  sudden  attack  of 
deafness,  owing  to  the  keen  current  of  air  that, 
blew  on  this  favored  spot,  and  how  soon  he 


INTRODUCTION' YOUTH.  41 

contrived  to  transfer  himself  to  a  place  quite 
at  the  other  end  of  the  brilliant  table,  among 
all  the  young  married  women  and  girls,  who 
received  him  as  their  idol,  with  joyous  smiles 
and  beaming  glances ! 

A  veil  of  profound  melancholy  rests  on  Men- 
delssohn's last  letters.  The  tidings  of  Gothe's 
death,  of  that  of  Zelter,  and  of  the  friend  of  his 
youth,  Rietz,  the  violinist,  deeply  affected  him. 
His  answers  are  all  in  the  minor  key.  As  to 
the  impression  made  on  him  by  the  demise  of 
his  attached  and  renowned  teacher,  he  writes  : 
"  On  the  day  that  I  received  the  news  of  Zel- 
ter's  death,  I  thought  that  I  should  have  had 
a  serious  illness,  and  indeed  during  the  whole 
of  the  ensuing  week  I  could  not  shake  off  this 
feeling." 

The  memorable  season  in  London,  when  he 
and  Paganini  shone  as  the  most  brilliant  stars, 
did  not  suffice  to  obliterate  the  shadows  of  sor- 
row, his  strongest  impulse  being  to  return  to 
the  warm  atmosphere  of  the  best  of  all  love — a 
father's  home. 

On   his    return   to   Berlin,    when   the  first 


42  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

ecstasy  of  seeing  and  hearing  eacli  other  once 
more  had  subsided,  Mendelssohn  wrote  repeat- 
edly to  Moscheles  to  persuade  him  to  pay  them 
another  visit,  urging  him  also  strongly  to  bring 
his  most  charming  wife.  When  his  friend  at 
last  agreed  to  come,  Mendelssohn's  joyful  let- 
ter in  reply  began  with  a  neatly  written-out 
trumpet  Fanfare.  He  also  inquired  about  a 
Septette  and  Trio  that  Moscheles  had  recently 
played  in  London  to  their  mutual  friend 
Klingemann,  and  which  had  so  enchanted  him 
that  he  had  sent  Mendelssohn  a  passage  out  of 
it  of  fourteen  notes,  that  he  had  retained  in  his 
memory.  "  I  should  like  to  hear  more  of  it," 
wrote  Mendelssohn,  "  for  those  few  notes  are 
perpetually  in  my  head  ;  I  seem  to  carry  them 
with  me  wherever  I  go." 

When  Moscheles  actually  arrived,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  there  was  rejoicing  without 
end ;  and  those  attached  friends  enjoyed  four 
weeks  of  the  most  delightful  intercourse.  The 
far-famed  master  was  received  with  great  jubi- 
lation ;  but  however  welcome  such  public  rec- 
ognition must  have  been  to  the  artist,  his  inti- 


INTRODUCTION YOUTH.  43 

macy  with  the  Mendelssohn  family  gratified 
him  still  more.  Fanny's  wondrous  talent  en- 
chanU-d  him  ;  Paul  and  Rebecca  vied  with 
each  other  in  playing  the  violoncello ;  every 
evening  there  was  music,  and  executed  thor- 
oughly con  amore.  In  the  bright  days  of 
autumn  they  made  all  sorts  of  expeditions  to- 
gether ;  in  the  afternoons  they  sang  quartettes, 
composed  by  Felix  in  the  morning,  under  the 
old  trees  in  the  garden  ;  arranged  clever  little 
fetes  with  fairy  dances,  and  enjoyed  to  the 
uttermost  being  together,  and  the  brightness 
of  the  present.  The  longed-for  Septette  and 
Trio  were  also  played  at  that  time,  and  forth- 
with arranged  by  Mendelssohn  as  duetts  ;  and 
on  the  evening  before  his  friend  Moscheles' 

o 

departure,  he  found  the  manuscript  on  the  desk 
of  the  piano,  Fanny  and  Rebecca  having 
placed  a  wreath  of  China  asters,  gathered  in 
the  garden,  on  the  music. 

But  the  inexorable  hour  of  farewell  arrived 
at  last : — 

From  this  land  we  must  sever, 

as  it  is  said  in  the  sons:  of  the  "  Schiffiein." 


44  REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

The  Moscheles  returned  to  London,  but  the 
words  "  to  meet  again  "  crossed  the  sea  on  both 
sides.     This  glorious  autumn  was  unfortunately 
followed  by  mists,  hoarfrosts,  and  snow-storms 
— a  period  of  uncertainty,  doubt,  restlessness, 
and  a  certain  degree  of  irritation.     The  death 
of  Bernhard  Klein,  too,  had  imposed  a  new 
burden  of  grief  on  Mendelssohn's  heart.     The 
situation  of  Zelter,  Director  of  the  Academy 
of  Singing,  for  which  Felix,  the  favorite  pupil 
of  the  great  deceased  teacher,  had  applied,  by 
the  desire  of  his  parents,  was  finally,  after  many 
long  and  secret  discussions,  bestowed  in  De- 
cember on  the  clever  composer  of  the  "  Mort 
d'Abel,"  Music-Director  Rungenhagen,  born 
in  1788.     It  is   said   that   the   ladies'   voices 
turned  the  scale  in  this  affair.     It  would  have 
been  diverting  to  be  behind  the  scenes  when 
this  election  was  in  progress  ;  what  twittering, 
fluttering,  croaking,  chirping,  and  piping  in 
every  key !     One  thing  was  certain,  that  the 
nightingales,   larks,   blackbirds,   thrushes,  tit- 
mice, chaffinches,  swallows,  and  all  the  sing- 
ing-birds voted  for  a  young  king ;  whereas  the 


IXTKODUCTION YOUTH.  45 

crows,  magpies,  crossbills,  and,  above  all,  the 
sparrows,  insisted  on  having  a  mature  master 
as  their  ruler ;  and  it  is  said  that  Berlin  spar- 
rows present  themselves  more  boldly,  and 
maintain  their  rights  more  noisily,  than  spar- 
rows in  other  places  !  Certain  ladies,  no  lon- 
ger, alas  !  counting  their  years  by  springs,  but 
by  winters,  could  not  endure  having  a  director 
whom  they  had  carried  in  their  arms  as  a  child, 
and  who,  moreover,  had  the  credit  of  a  disa- 
greeably correct  memory.  These  fogs,  how- 
ever, were  quickly  dispersed  ;  a  nature  such  as 
Mendelssohn's  could  not  long  remain  depressed 
by  the  failure  of  a  hope,  and  so  one  day  he 
writes  to  Pastor  Bauer : — "  When  you  think 
of  me,  do  so  as  of  a  joyous  musician  who  is 
doing  many  things,  who  is  resolved  to  do  many 
more,  and  who  \\o\\\dfatfi  accomplish  all  that 
can  be  done."  The  sun  burst  forth,  spring 
looked  down  from  the  mountains — 

Balmy  breezes  are  awaking, 
Soft  melodious  murmurs  making ; 
Into  life  each  bud  is  breaking- 
New  sounds,  fresh  fragrance  day  by  day  1 
Throbbing  heart !  thy  pulses  stay  ; 
The  old  hath  passed  away. 


46  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

And  at  Whitsuntide,  in  June,  1833,  Felix 
delssohn  stood  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  and 
independent  life,  and  long  wished-for  active 
occupation — at  the  director's  desk  in  the  Con- 
cert-Hall of  Diisseldorf. 


CHAPTER  II. 

DUSSELDOKF. 

Oh  1  youthful  time  of  roseate  hours 
And  dewy  paths,  bedecked  with  flowers. 

HEINRICH  HEINE,  in  his  "  Reisebilder,"  says 
of  this  his  native  city  : — "  Diisseldorf  is  a  town 
on  the  Rhine,  where  16,000  people  live,  and 
where  many  a  hundred  thousand  are  buried. 
It  is  very  beautiful,  and  longing  feelings  come 
over  us  when  we  think  of  it  in  distant  lands." 

When  Mendelssohn  arrived  there,  more  than 
16,000  people  were  assembled,  not  only  because 
the  cherished  Whitsuntide  feast  had  arrived, 
for  it  displayed  a  very  different  physiognomy 
from  that  it  bore  when  that  reckless  but  irresis- 
tible favorite  of  the  Graces  and  Muses,  Hem- 
rich  Heine,  was  still  a  pupil  in  the  Franciscan 
cloister,  and  bought  hot  apple-tarts  at  the  corner 
of  the  theater  in  the  vicinity  of  the  huge  statue 
of  the  Elector.  Dusseldorf  had  taken  a  grand 
upward  flight  since  Wilhelm  von  Schadow 
took  up  his  abode  there,  with  a  brilliant  retinue 


48  KEMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

of  younger  painters  —  Lessing,  Hildebrandt, 
Sohn,  Miicke,  Hiibuer,  Schirmer,  soon  to  be 
joined  by  Bendemann  and  Steinbriick.  In 
the  long  deserted  rooms  of  the  ancient  castle — 
where  Heine  maintained  that  a  lady  in  black 
silk,  headless,  and  with  rustling  garments, 
nightly  flitted  about — easels  now  stood,  and 
that  work  which  "  aspires  to  the  beautiful " 
was  begun,  while  pictures  in  their  pomp  of 
color  bore  the  fame  of  the  Diisseldorf  school 
over  all  the  world.  Lessing  painted  his  "  Royal 
Couple;"  Hildebrandt,  his  "Judith,"  ("Ed- 
ward's Children  "  were  sketched  previous  to 
the  journey  to  Italy)  ;  Bendemann,  the  mour- 
ners "  who  sat  by  the  waters  of  Babylon  and 
wept ; "  Sohn,  his  beautiful  "  Hylas ; "  and 
Schirmer  his  profoundly  poetical  landscapes. 

Immermann,  the  gifted  poet,  and  his  circle, 
formed  the  second  court.  He  was  at  that  very 
time  sending  forth  into  the  world  his  "  Tuli- 
fantchen"  to  flutter  there,  which  Heine  so 
charmingly  designates  as  an  "  epic  humming- 
bird." In  this  society  the  most  bright  and 
prominent  forms  were  the  refined  Grafin  Ahle- 


DUSSELDORF.  49 

feldt,  with  her  aristocratic  attractions;  the 
intellectual  Elisabeth  Grube ;  the  fascinating 
poets  Von  Uechtritz  and  Zedlitz ;  the  subtle 
investigator  of  art,  Schnaase  ;  and  the  original 
Grabbe. 

In  a  remote  cell  of  the  academy,  the  walls 
of  which  were  covered  with  clever  sketches, 
were  read  aloud  Hamlet,  Wallenstein,  Egmont, 
Romeo,  the  Standhaften  Prinzen,  the  Opferdes 
Schweigens,  Puss  in  Boots,  King  CEdipus,  and 
many  others,  and  there  were  held  those  model 
performances  which  created  such  a  sensation, 
and  in  which  Seydelmaim  appeared  as  a  star. 

Immermann,  in  writing  about  these  hours 
in  this  cell,  says : — "  Beneath  the  window 
rushed  the  Rhine,  while  the  white  walls  were 
reddened  by  the  sun  of  spring.  Within  sound 
of  the  waves,  in  rosy  light,  syllables  were 
measured,  accentuation  determined,  and  variety 
of  tone  in  declamation  worked  out." 

Beside  these  two  radiant  groups  of  painters 
and  poets,  a  third  musical  one  now  appeared, 
and  its  brilliant  center  was — Felix  Mendels- 
sohn. 

2* 


50  REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

A  Whitsuntid.e  Musical  Festival !  The 
words  sound  as  genial  as  an  A  major  chord, 
"We  feel  the  sunshine,  we  breathe  the  balmy 
breezes  "  steeped  in  blue,"  and  inhale  the  fra- 
grance of  blooming  lilacs.  The  founders  of 
this  grand  and  noble  musical  gathering,  that, 
since  1818,  brings,  as  it  were,  summer  into  the 
Rhenish  spring,  cannot  fail  to  excite  the  warm- 
est gratitude  in  the  hearts  of  all  those  who  ever 
assisted  in  the  celebration  of  such  a  festival. 
Long  processions  of  people  come  streaming  in 
on  every  side  from  far  and  near,  musicians 
and  lovers  of  music ;  and  above  the  door  of 
every  Rhenish  concert-hall,  at  Whitsuntide, 
might  fitly  and  justly  be  inscribed  these 
lines : — 

Who  can  the  sea  of  heads  compute, 

Or  who  the  names  tell  o'er  ? 
The  hall  with  teeming  multitudes 

Is  crammed  from  roof  to  floor. 

Not  omitting  to  make  honorable  mention  also 
of  all  the  living  flowers — varieties  of  roses, 
lilies,  tulips,  violets,  pansies,  forget-me-nots, 
ranunculuses — as  well  as  a  sprinkling  of  culi- 
nary herbs  !  It  was,  and  still  is,  a  display  of 


DL'SSELDORF.  51 

the  most  attractive  forms,  faces,  toilettes,  and 
—voices  withal.  People  go  by  turns  to  Co- 
logne, Aix-la-Chapelle,  Diisseldorf,  and  Elber- 
felcl,  on  these  Whitsuntide  days,  to  see  and 
to  be  seen,  to  listen  and  to  admire,  to  play  and 
to  sing. 

Thus  it  once  was,  and  thns  it  is  to  this  day. 

The  concert  programme  of  the  Diisseldorf 
Musical  Festival,  that  Felix  Mendelssohn  di- 
rected for  the  first  time,  consisted  of  the  fol- 
lowing pieces : — 

"  Overture  in  C  major,"  by  Mendelssohn ; 

Handel's  "Israel  in  Egypt ;  " 

"  The  grand  Leonora  Overture  in  C ;  " 

Beethoven's  "  Pastoral  Symphony  ;  " 

"  Easter  Cantata,"  by  Wolf; 

"  Die  Macht  der  Tone,"  by  Winter ; 

and,  in  addition,  Mendelssohn  played  a  Con- 
certo of  Weber's.  The  soprano  solos  were  sung 
by  the  favorite  of  Berlin,  the  admired  Pauline 
von  Schiitzel-Decker,  a  friend  of  the  Mendels- 
sohn family.  Her  sweet  voice  and  her  render- 
ing, so  full  of  soul,  had  the  most  enchanting 
effect. 

At  the  rehearsals,  Mendelssohn's  presence 
had  already  excited  the  most  lively  interest. 


52  REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

How  eagerly  were  all  eyes,  whether  fine  or  the 
reverse,  directed  toward,  that  slight  form  of 
middle  height,  his  dark  curling  hair,  his  intel- 
lectual forehead,  and  well-chiseled  mouth. 
And  had  this  slender  hand,  almost  feminine  in 
its  delicacy,  with  the  conductor's  baton  in  its 
grasp,  power  to  control  such  masses  of  sounds 
and  human  beings  ?  The  result  was  awaited 
with  excitement.  But  at  the  very  first  calm, 
modest  words,  with  which  he  introduced  him- 
self, the  mode  of  his  address  to  the  singers,  in 
all  its  charming  gayety  of  heart,  produced  the 
most  pleasing  impression  in  favor  of  the  "Ber- 
liner." 

"When  an  hour  had  elapsed,  the  orchestra 
were  playing  with  a  fire  and  impetus  such  as 
they  had  never  yet  done,  while  the  old  musi- 
cians stole  furtive  glances  of  delight  at  the 
youthful  director,  muttering  to  each  other, 
"  He  knows  what  he  is  about."  The  singers 
found  that  they  might  trust  to  him  ;  and  as  for 
the  ladies !  tace. 

The  performance  itself  was  a  memorable  one. 
The  warm-hearted,  excitable  Rhinelanders 


DUSSELDORF.  53 

seemed  quite  transported — applause,  hurrahs, 
flowers,  laurel-wreaths,  sparkling  eyes,  flushed 
cheeks.  They  were  determined  to  secure,  at 
any  cost,  that  masterly  hand ;  so  Mendelssohn 
was  unanimously  selected  as  City  Music-Direc- 
tor, an  appointment  first  created  on  his  behalf, 
and,  to  the  delight  of  all,  he  accepted  this  posi- 
tion for  some  years. 


It  was  quite  a  matter  of  course  that  Men- 
delssohn should  quickly  feel  himself  at  home 
in  the  Diisseldorf  circles  of  that  day.  Not- 
withstanding all  his  devotion  to  his  beloved  art, 
no  one  came  forward  less  as  a  one-sided  musi- 
cian than  he.  His  brilliant  and  elastic  spirit 
extended  feelers  on  every  side.  All  that  was 
beautiful,  great,  and  noble,  in  whatsoever  form, 
attracted  him,  and  engaged  his  eager  attention. 
He  had,  indeed,  in  his  parental  home,  been 
trained,  not  only  to  hear,  but  also  to  see  :  and 
eyes  such  as  his  had  a  quick  perception  of  the 
beautiful.  From  his  earliest  youth,  Lessing, 
Gothe,  Schiller,  Shakspeare,  had  been  his 
friends,  and  everywhere  he  found  ample  time, 


REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

from  his  ardent  zeal,  to  exercise  his  remarkable 
talent  for  drawing,  and  to  cultivate  himself 
in  every  different  branch.  Gumprecht  say*, 
"  An  almost  feminine  tenderness  of  feeling, 
and  a  versatile  imagination,  fiery  and  impetu- 
ous in  receiving  impressions,  are  prominent 
peculiarities  in  Mendelssohn's  individuality. 
But  to  these  equivocal  gifts  of  the  gods  was 
added  an  incorruptible  understanding,  purify- 
ing and  strengthening  him,  and,  most  impor- 
tant of  all,  a  determined  and  self-reliant  char- 
acter." 

Innumerable  passages  in  his,  letters  prove 
how  subtle  was  his  sense  of  art,  while  every 
bar  of  his  writings  shows  how  full  of  poetry 
was  his  soul.  The  painters  received  him  at 
that  time  as  if  one  of  their  .fraternity,  and  the 
somewhat  exclusive  circle  of  poets  also  gladly 
admitted  him  to  share  their  privileges.  He 
once  more  began  to  sketch  and  to  paint  with 
fresh  zeal,  and  many  captivating  album  pages, 
arabesques,  and  sketches,  still  extant  in  the 
hands  of  his  various  friends,  testify  how  great 
was  his  talent,  how  correct  his  eye,  how  rich 


DUriSELDORF.  55 

his  fancy,  and  how  graceful  his  hand.  A  most 
charming  little  pen-and-ink  composition,  in  a 
letter  to  Moscheles,  is  of  this  date.  Moscheles 
had  written  from  London  to  Felix  at  Diissel- 
dorf,  to  beg  his  young  friend  to  stand  god- 
father to  his  newly-born  son.  The  whole 
orchestra,  in  a  grand  flourish  of  trumpets, 
rejoiced  at  the  communication,  and  a  few  days 
afterward  that  exquisite  cradle-song,  "Schl- 
ummre  und  triiume  von  kiinftiger  Zeit,"  was 
expedited  across  the  Channel  to  the  lovely 
young  mother  and  Mendelssohn's  god-eon,  Felix 
Moscheles. 

I  have  been  furnished,  both  verbally  and  by 
letter,  with  many  pleasing  traits  and  details 
of  Mendelssohn's  life  in  Diisseldorf.  The  posi- 
tion he  at  that  time  assumed  as  an  artist,  and 
what  he  accomplished  there  as  a  director,  we 
find  related  in  the  various  biographies  of  Men- 
delssohn and  Immermann ;  but  his  friends 
alone  could  tell  of  his  private  life.  It  is  well 
known  what  delightful  harmony  subsisted  from 
the  commencement  between  the  poet  and  the 
musician,. and  what  hopes  were  excited  for  the 


56  KEMIXISCEXCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

stage  from  such  a  rare  combination.  Immer- 
mann  was  to  conduct  the  Drama,  and  Men- 
delssohn the  Opera.  On  the  28th  of  October, 
1834,  the  Diisseldorf  Theater  opened  with 
Kleist's  "  Prinzen  von  Homburg,"  and  a  "  Fest- 
spiel,"  written  for  the  occasion  by  Immermann. 
The  crowded  house  was  brilliant  in  the  rich 
adornment  of  female  beauty.  Raphael's  Par- 
nassus was  placed  on  the  stage  in  the  highest 
perfection  by  the  painters,  with  a  striking  mu- 
sical accompaniment  composed  by  Mendels- 
sohn. The  gentle  friend  of  the  poet,  Countess 
Ahlefeldt,  whose  delicate  features  and  pensive 
expression  were  to  be  seen  in  a  stage-box,  lis- 
tened in  visible  excitement  to  the  poetry,  her 
fair  hand  flinging  on  the  stage,  at  the  close,  a 
laurel-wreath,  the  signal  for  a  universal  shower 
of  flowers.  The  first  opera  performances  under 
the  direction  of  Mendelssohn  were  received 
with  still  greater  enthusiasm — Mozart's  "  Don 
Juan,"  and  Cherubini's  "  "Wassertrager,"  and 
also  Gothe's  "  Egmont,"  with  Beethoven's  mu- 
sic. These  were  flowers  that  had  sprung  to 
life  from  under  a  mass  of  rubbish,  roses  that 


I>i>SELDORF.  57 

had  shot  up  in  an  uncultivated  garden — giant 
power  and  giant  energy  such  as  a  god-like  en- 
thusiasm for  art  could  alone  inspire,  were 
requisite  to  unite  in  one  harmonious  whole  all 
that  lay  scattered  around.  The  community 
saw  only  the  finished  work,  and  rejoiced  in 
it ;  no  one  knew  how  much  patience,  trouble, 
work,  discord,  and  strife  had  preceded  it.  No 
doubt  the  very  brilliant  success  of  these  operas, 
the  powerful  impression  that  music  never  fails 
to  make  on  the  public  at  large,  the  irresistible 
magic  that  it  exercises  above  all  on  the  people, 
caused  Immermann  to  become  uneasy  about 
the  fate  of  his  dramatic  representations,  and 
induced  him  to  make  those  unfortunate  and 
much-discussed  efforts  to  drive  the  opera  at 
any  cost  into  the  background.  Perhaps,  also, 
the  unconcealed  endeavors  of  the  fiery  young 
master  to  secure  the  first  place  for  his  beloved 
art,  caused  the  representative  of  "  the  irritable 
race  of  poets  "  to  lose  patience  ;  at  all  events, 
there  soon  arose  greater  or  lesser  points  ot 
collision.  Neither  would  yield  a  single  hair's 
breadth,  neither  would  move  an  inch  from  his 


58  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

place ;  and  thus  the  estrangement  of  these  two 
friends,  once  so  intimate,  every  day  increased, 
and,  in  spite  of  the  daily  intervention  of  others, 
quickly  deepened  into  variance,  and  ended  in 
a  public  breach  of  their  connection.  No  de- 
cided opinion  can  be  given  on  the  subject  of 
these  complicated  Diisseldorf  conflicts,  much 
less  can  they  be  discussed  in  detail ;  too  many 
recent  graves  lie  around  on  every  side,  on 
which  the  grass  has  not  yet  grown — who  could 
have  courage  to  invade  those  sacred  resting- 
places  ! 

And  yet  even  in  Diisseldorf,  in  spite  of  this 
disturbed  atmosphere,  and  a  sky  alternately 
bright  and  overcast,  that  regal  palm-tree,  "  St. 
Paul,"  calmly  and  surely  waxed  in  growth. 

A  clever  and  congenial  friend  of  Mendels- 
sohn's, at  that  period  a  beautiful,  young,  and 
happy  wife,  and  now  a  still  young  and  happy 
grandmother,  Mai  wine  B.  S ,  speaks  charm- 
ingly of  the  private  life  of  Mendelssohn  in 
those  days,  which  formed  such  a  welcome  coun- 
terpoise to  the  chaos  of  unsatisfactory  occupa- 
tions, and  the  manifold  annoyances  of  his  artis- 


DUSSELDORF.  59 

tic  life  there.  Their  first  acquaintance  began 
as  follows : — 

Plis  parents  and  his  sister  Rebecca  came  to 
visit  their  beloved  son  and  brother  in  his  new 
home.  They  lived  in  the  Breidenbach  Hof, 
opposite  the  young  married  couple  I  have  al- 
luded to,  a  distinguished  physician  and  his 
wife.  Doubtless  the  bright  eyes  of  the  latter 
often  glanced  through  the  flowers  in  her  win- 
dow j  at  the  happy  family  group  opposite,  of 
which  the  celebrated  young  music-director 
formed  the  center.  One  evening,  after  tea, 
when  the  young  couple  were  sitting  together, 
talking  of  their  interesting  vis  d  vis,  rapid  foot- 
steps were  heard  on  the  stairs,  and  a  hasty 
knock  at  the  door,  when  Felix  Mendelssohn 
rushed  in.  without  his  hat,  in  the  greatest  state 
of  excitement,  imploring  the  physician,  in  a 
few  hurried  words,  to  come  with  him  instantly, 
as  his  mother  had  been  suddenly  taken  ill. 

Dr.  B at  once  hurried  off  with  him  to  see 

the  invalid.  Fran  Mendelssohn  had  been  seized 
by  a  kind  of  apoplectic  fit,  and  was  uncon- 
scious, while  the  family  were  in  the  deepest 


GO  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

distress  by  the  side  of  tlieir  beloved  mother. 
The  necessary  remedies  were  applied,  and  after 
watching  with  them  through  the  night,  the 
young  doctor  had  the  joy  of  being  able  to  pro- 
nounce the  precious  patient  out  of  danger. 

Two  days  afterward,  the  old  gentleman,  with 
Felix  and  Rebecca,  called  to  thank  their  new 
friend,  and,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  begged 
him  and  his  wife  to  visit  their  much-loved  and 
revered  invalid  the  same  afternoon.  The 
young  couple  were  only  too  delighted  to  accept 
this  urgent  invitation.  When  they  entered 
the  room  they  found  the  convalescent  patient 
lying  on  a  sofa ;  she  welcomed  her  kind  doctor 
and  his  charming  companion  with  a  bright 
smile.  Beside  her,  exhausted  by  the  fatigue 
and  excitement  of  the  previous  days,  lay  Felix, 
asleep,  his  slender  hand  clasped  in  that  of  his 
mother,  and  his  head  resting  on  the  corner  of 
the  sofa.  The  mother  pointed  to  Felix  with  a 
beseeching  glance,  while  holding  out  her  other 
hand  to  greet  her  visitors.  Her  son  was  so 
sound  asleep  that  he  heard  none  of  the  little 
preliminaries  attendant  on  a  first  introduction. 


T;  -SELDORF.  61 

There  he  lay,  his  noble  forehead  bent  down, 
his  dark  eyelashes  resting  on  his  cheeks,  his 
well-cut  lips  gently  closed,  pale,  and  breathing 
softly — a  most  charming  picture.  Rebecca,  a 
lovely  young  girl,  in  a  paroxysm  of  overflow- 
ing spirits,  so  easily  excited  by  the  sense  of 
danger  escaped,  could  not  withstand  the  temp- 
tation of  sewing  the  skirts  of  the  sleeper's  coat 
to  the  sofa.  Gently  the  mother,  with  eyes  and 
lip>,  protested  against  this  mischievous  prank 
— but  in  vain ;  Rebecca  persisted  in  her  pur- 
] "  ><e.  "  Never  can  I  forget,"  relates  his  friend, 
"  the  embarrassed  yet  laughing  face  of  Felix 
when  he  awoke,  and,  on  attempting  to  rise  to 
welcome  us,  found  that  he  was  held  fast. 
Those  were  memorable  hours,  which,  both  in 
their  graver  aspect  and  unconscious  humor, 
caused  a  greater  intimacy  between  us  than 
months  of  the  usual  intercourse  of  social  life. 
The  conversation  became  forthwith  as  gay  and 
lively  as  if  among  old  friends.  We  were  as  frank 
and  unconstrained  as  if  we  had  known  each 
other  for  years."  So,  in  the  course  of  conver- 
sation the  young  wife  alluded,  in  a  good-na- 


62  KEMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

tured,  laughing  way,  to  some  of  the  peculiari- 
ties of  the  Diisseldorf  society.  Felix  started 
up  with  animation,  and,  stretching  out  his 
hand,  laughing  to  the  fascinating  speaker,  said, 
"  All  you  say  is  true  and  just,  and  I  think  ex- 
actly as  you  do  ;  only,  a  pretty  woman  may 
venture  to  say  so,  whereas  I  must  not — that  is 
the  difference!"  Before  leaving  Diisseldorf, 
the  Mendelssohns  introduced  their  new  friends 
to  a  family  whose  house  they  had  looked  upon 
as  their  most  charming  resource,  and  consid- 
ered a  place  of  rest,  or  a  kind  of  home — the 

hospitable  art-loving  family  of  "W . 

The  family  at  that  time  consisted  of  the 
father,  a  stately  mature  man,  though  still  in 
the  prime  of  life,  three  sons,  and  two  highly- 
gifted,  amiable  daughters.  They  were  all  mu- 
sical ;  the  girls  sang  enchantingly ;  and  a  finer 
tenor  than  that  of  Ferdinand,  the  eldest  son, 
was  perhaps  never  heard  in  Germany.  The 

"W house  was  a  rendezvous  for  all  artists 

far  and  near — a  bright  green  oasis  in  the  arid 
wilderness  of  the  world,  but  a  specially  favorite 
resort  of  the  Mendelssohn  family — a  station 


DUSSELDOBF.  63 

which  you  must  stop  at,  and  which  Paul  Men- 
delssohn very  appropriately  called  "  the  grand 
rest." 

Felix  dedicated  several  books  of  songs  to  the 
sisters  W ,  and  it  was  they  who,  uncon- 
sciously at  that  period,  inspired  his  vocal  com- 
positions. How  often  did  he  arrive  in  their 
house  with  a  newly-written  MS.  in  his  hand, 
a  song  for  them,  that  they  might  sing  it  for 
him  !  One  of  those  sweet,  girlish  voices  would 
then  render  his  musical  ideas  with  clearness 
and  warmth  ;  what  he  had  felt  deeply  thus 
assuming  as  it  were  a  living  form,  and  being 
as  profoundly  felt  by  the  hearts  of  the  singers, 
sounding  afresh  like  an  echo.  The  young 
composer  would  then  start  up  in  overflowing 
excitement,  and  seize  the  white  hands  of  the 
singers,  exclaiming,  "  This  is  joy  of  heart !  It 
is  thus  that  German  songs  ought  to  be  sung !  " 

Those  evenings  in  the  society  of  the  W 

family  were  Felix's  greatest  recreation  and  re- 
freshment. "When  Ferdinand  and  the  girls 
pang,  Felix  played  with  Rietz,  the  distinguished 
violoncello-player,  or  extemporized  before  this 


64:  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

select  circle  so  beautifully  on  themes  he  had 
just  heard,  that  he  enchanted  every  one,  young 
and  old.  There,  too,  they  played  at  forfeits, 
when  Mendelssohn  always  seemed  the  merriest 
and  most  child-like  of  them  all.  Those  who 
saw  him  flying  about,  dancing  so  gayly  with 
young  girls  and  married  women,  or  with  ban- 
daged eyes  guessing  who  touched  him,  and 
laughing  amid  all  the  confusion  of  merry  voices, 
could  scarcely  realize  that  a  few  hours  later 
this  very  same  man — his  thoughts  as  far  re- 
moved from  this  mirthful  scene  as  the  heavens 
from  the  earth — his  head  bent  over  the  text 
of  "St. .Paul,"  just  received  from  his  friend 
Pastor  Schubring,  wTas  writing  down  those 
sublime  melodies  destined  to  flash  through  the 
world  like  rays  of  light.  He  often,  too,  came 
in  the  forenoon  to  the  wife  of  the  physician  to 
try  over  some  of  his  melodies,  and  to  ask,  play- 
fully, "  That  sounds  well ;  don't  you  think 
so?" 

His  friends,  moreover,  did  not  spoil  him  by 
praise ;  and  he  was  by  no  means  nurtured  on 
the  honeyed  words  of  flattery.  They  were 


DUSSELDOKF.  65 

much  more  disposed  to  criticize  him  unspar- 
ingly, if  he  produced  anything  that  one  or  an- 
other did  not  thoroughly  approve  of.  How 
often  he  sat  among  them,  leaning  his  head  on 
his  hands,  with  the  written  music  before  him, 
saving,  "  But  I  really  do  think  that  I  have  in 
this  way  best  expressed  my  meaning ;  it  stood 
just  so  in  my  soul,  and  now  I  am  so  vexed  that 
you  hear  it  differently ;  but  still,  I  believe  the 
day  will  come  when  you  will  discover  that  I 
\v;is  right — the  hour  will  arrive  when  it  will 
sound  better  in  your  ears." 

And  the  day  infallibly  came  when  they  saw 
it  as  he  did.  Hildebrandt  remembers  a  saying 
of  Mendelssohn's,  with  regard  to  Father  Haydn, 
which  I  shall  quote  here  as  characteristic. 

Once,  on  the  occasion  of  a  merry  jovial  meet- 
ing, a  select  circle  of  friends,  with  uplifted 
glasses,  found  fault  with  the  weakness  of  the 
chorus  in  "  The  Seasons,"  in  praise  of  wine. 
"  We  should  like  to  sing  something  far  more 
spirited  in  its  place,"  said  they,  scornfully. 
"  The  '  old  Papa '  must  have  been  drinking 
detestable  wine  at  that  time  to  put  so  little  fire 


66  REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

into  its  praise."  Mendelssohn  smiled.  "  Fa- 
ther Haydn  can  well  forgive  your  calumny," 
said  he,  "  and  can  afford  to  wait  patiently  till 
you  once  more  come  to  your  senses.  Let  the 
frothy  period  of  youth  pass  away,  and  then 
sing  his  chorus  to  a  glass  of  wine,  and  tell  me 
whether  it  still  seems  insipid.  At  this  moment 
the  wdne  itself  is  your  chief  object.  When 
Haydn  wrote  that  chorus,  he  did  not  drink 
wine  as  you  do,  merely  to  enjoy  it,  but  only 
in  order  to  gain  strength  for  his  work,  and  to 
rejoice  in  the  strength  it  imparted.  So  I  say 
again — Wait ! " 

""We  often  marveled,"  says  Hildebrandt, 
"  at  all  the  wisdom  in  this  young  head.  We 
constantly  felt  how  immeasurably  he  was  above 
us ;  and  yet,  at  other  times,  he  was  as  full  of 
boyish  mirth  and  high  spirits  as  the  youngest 
among  us." 

The  enthusiasm  is  indescribable  with  which 
"  St.  Paul,"  even  before  its  completion,  was 
received,  and  studied  in  its  separate  parts,  by 
the  Diisseldorf  circles.  When  Mendelssohn 
caused  any  of  the  choruses  to  be  rehearsed, 


DU3SELDORF.  67 

listeners  assembled  in  crowds,  and  often  burst 
forth  into  loud  shouts  of  applause.  The  fair 
friend  of  Mendelssohn,  to  whom  we  have  al- 
luded, witnessed  a  most  diverting  interlude  at 
one  of  these  rehearsals.  Mendelssohn  reques- 
ted Ferdinand  von  ~W to  sing  the  recita- 
tive that,  as  usual,  he  brought  with  him  just 
as  he  had  written  it  down,  and  also  the  con- 
necting passages  in  the  "  Chorus  of  the  Hea- 
thens." The  words  in  the  text  of  these  pages 
were  certainly  by  no  means  distinctly  written  ; 
and  when  the  passage  came,  ""When  the 
heathens  heard  it,  they  were  glad  "  (froJi),  it  so 
happened  that  the  glorious  tenor  voice  sang 
with  animation,  "  When  the  heathens  heard  it, 
they  were  saucy"  (frech).  This  expression,  so 
peculiarly  Rhenish,  in  spite  of  the  solemn  mood 
of  the  audience,  called  forth  an  almost  Homeric 
burst  of  laughter.  The  singer  paused,  a  spasm 
contracted  his  face,  and  he  looked  across  at 
Mendelssohn.  He,  however,  was  bending  for- 
ward, both  arms  resting  on  the  piano,  convulsed 
with  laughter.  The  singer  now  laughed  also, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  either  the  director 


68  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

or  any  present  were  sufficiently  composed  to 
repeat  or  to  listen  to  the  treacherous  passage 
in  its  original  reading. 

The  first  performance  of  "  St.  Paul,"  which 
subsequently  took  place  at  Diisseldorf,  Men- 
delssohn directed  himself,  although  at  that 
time  he  belonged  to  Leipzig.  His  mother  and 
his  sisters  and  brother  came  from  Berlin  to  at- 
tend it ;  and,  probably,  never  has  this  work 
been  given  to  the  ear  in  such  perfection  as  on 
that  occasion,  during  the  first  impetus  of  fer- 
vent enthusiasm  for  the  composer  and  his  crea* 
tion.  "  St.  Paul,"  indeed,  had  attained  its  full 
growth  directly  under  the  eyes  of  those  who 
now  took  part  in  it.  Each  performer  thought 
that  he  had  a  certain  share  in  this  wonderful 
production.  One  trifling  passage  alone  did 
not  go  steadily ;  one  of  the  u  false  witnesses  " 
made  a  mistake.  Fanny  Ilensel,  who  was 
seated  with  the  contralti,  became  as  pale  as 
death,  bent  forward,  and,  holding  up  the  sheet 
of  music,  sang  the  right  notes  so  steadily  and 
firm  that  the  culprit  soon  got  right  again.  At 
the  close  of  the  performance,  in  the  midst  of 


I>r>>ELDORF.  69 

all  the  jubilation,  Felix  tenderly  clasped  the 
hand  of  his  helper  in  need,  saying,  with  his 
sunny  smile,  "  I  am  glad  it  was  one  of  the  false 
witnesses ! " 

As  at  that  epoch  of  Diisseldorf  life,  one 
art  always  stretched  forth  a  helping  hand  to 
another ;  the  Beethoven  Sonatas  also  became, 
in  a  new  form,  a  wondrous  adornment  of  the 
various  fetes.  Mendelssohn  had  harmonized 
several  of  these  for  instruments,  and  some  of 
the  movements  were  introduced  with  tableaux 
I'ii'iints,  arranged  in  rare  perfection,  and,  with 
the  aid  of  beautiful  female  faces,  and  male 
heads  full  of  character,  produced  the  most 
brilliant  effects.  It  formed  a  rare  and  harmo- 
nious combination  of  color,  tone,  and — men  of 
genius.  The  "  Funeral  March,"  from  the  A 
major  Sonata,  has  accompanied  many  to  their 
final  resting-place.  Not  till  the  autumn  of 
the  year  1836, — when  that  gifted  young  musi- 
cian Robert  Burgmiiller  was  borne  to  his 
grave — did  Mendelssohn  compose  a  Funeral 
March  himself,  the  effect  of  which  was  said  to 
be  very  striking. 


70  REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

There  was  an  attempt  made,  in  a  grander 
style  and  with  the  most  careful  preparations, 
to  illustrate  Handel's  Oratorios  in  a  similar 
manner ;  that  is,  to  accompany  their  perform- 
ance with  tableaux  vivants,  and  Mendelssohn 
was  all  fire  and  flame  for  this  project.  He 
relied  on  Handel's  original  idea  of  making  his 
Oratorios  effective  on  the  masses  by  putting 
them  on  the  stage  with  a  certain  degree  of 
scenic  splendor.  Handel's  "  Israel  in  Egypt  " 
was  therefore  at  once  produced  with  tableaux 
vivants.  The  most  renowned  artists  painted 
the  decorations ;  the  surging  sea  and  the  noblest 
forms  of  Bible  history  met  the  eye  in  bright 
and  living  beauty.  This  representation  pro- 
duced a  really  overwhelming  impression. 

Many  little  incidents,  recalled  by  friends, 
gleam  like  fitful  rays  of  light  respecting  the 
artistic  value  of  those  days.  One  of  Mendels- 
sohn's favorite  stories  was  an  ancient  Roman 
tradition  of  a  motionless  assembly  of  Senators, 
seated  in  death-like  silence,  whom  a  guileless 
Gaul  mistook  for  stone  statues,  and  was  there- 
fore bold  enough  to  pluck  the  beard  of  one  of 


PUSSELDOEF.  71 

the  circle,  when  the  supposed  statue  started 
into  life  and  cut  down  the  audacious  Gaul  with 
his  sword.  In  remembrance  of  this  anecdote, 
Mendelssohn  and  Hildebrandt  agreed,  that 
whenever  they  met,  no  matter  where,  even  in 
the  most  aristocratic  society,  never  to  say  "  good 
day  "  to  each  other  without  a  certain  form. 
Hildebrandt  was  suddenly  to  stand  still  and 
assume  a  stony  face,  when  Mendelssohn  was 
to  go  up  to  him  slowly  and  solemnly  and  pull 
his  beard,  while  he  was  in  turn  to  submit  to 
a  sharp  Roman  blow  on  the  shoulder,  which 
dissolved  the  magic  spell,  and  they  were  then 
to  greet  each  other  with  their  usual  cordiality. 
In  no  place  in  the  world  could  Mendelssohn 
have  found  a  warmer  or  more  congenial  soil 
for  the  rapid  development  of  his  artistic  nature 
than  in  the  Diisseldorf  of  that  day.  "Would 
this  magic  flower  have  bloomed  as  brightly  if 
grown  on  other  ground  ?  Surely  continual 
emulation,  reciprocal  influence,  and  cordial 
intimacy  with  the  most  distinguished  men, 
must  have  acted  like  ripening  rays  of  light. 
But,  as  the  mournful  old  song  says : 


72  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Bright  as  the  sun  may  shine, 
It  must  decline  at  last ; 

and  thus  Mendelssohn's  Diisseldorf  life  came 
to  a  close  much  earlier  than  was  anticipated, 
by  a  summons  to  Leipzig  as  Director  of  the 
Gewandhaus  Concerts.  Sebastian  Bach's  well- 
beloved  "  Lindenstadt "  became  the  second 
home  of  his  most  fervent  admirer. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LEIPZIG. 

Food  hath  a  fresher  taste, 
Blood  hath  a  keener  flow, 
Where  Liberty's  tempestuous  breezes  blow. 

ON  October  4,  1835,  Felix  Mendelssohn, 
amid  the  enthusiastic  applause  of  a  crowded 
audience,  was  directing  in  the  hall  of  the 
venerable  Gewandhaus,  on  the  orchestra  of 
which  is  inscribed  the  following  maxim : 
"  Res  severa  est  veruin  gaudium."  The  pro- 
gramme consisted  of  that  enchanting  Overture, 
"  Meeresstille  und  gliickliche  Fahrt ; "  Scene 
and  Aria  from  "  Lodoiska,"  by  Cherubim,  sung 
by  the  fine  sympathetic  voice  of  Friiuleiii  Henri- 
ette  Grabau ;  a  violin  Concerto  by  Spohr,  played 
by  his  pupil,  Music-Director  Berka  of  Berlin ; 
Introduction  from  Cherubini's  "  Ali  Baba ; " 
and  finally,  Beethoven's  B-flat  major  Sym- 
phony. 

"With  regard  to  Friiulein  Grabau,  Mendels- 
sohn wrote  to  Ilildebrandt — "  I  have  here  met 


7i  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

with  a  singer  who  executes  both  Beethoven's 
songs  and  those  of  others  so  beautifully,  that  I 
am  almost  tempted  to  compose  some  new  songs ; 
but  be  tranquil,  I  am  working  busily  at  my 
'  St.  Paul.'  " 

A  fruitful  musical  autumn  succeeded  this 
charming  commencement  of  Mendelssohn's 
first  labors  in  Leipzig.  Moscheles  came  over 
from  England,  and  gave  a  brilliant  concert, 
where  he  played  with  Mendelssohn  his  cele- 
brated "  Hommage  a  Handel,"  which,  owing 
to  this  extraordinary  combination  of  talent, 
was  attended  with  the  most  unexampled  suc- 
cess ;  and  the  much-admired  tenor,  Wild, 
melted  every  female  heart  by  his  rendering 
of  the  grand  Belmont  Aria  in  the  "  Seraglio." 
The  highly-gifted  Chopin,  during  a  short 
visit  to  Leipzig  at  that  time,  formed  a  friend- 
ship with  Felix  ;  the  star  of  Klara  Wieck,  too, 
was  then  rising  in  the  artistic  firmament  of 
Leipzig,  and  the  tones  of  Ferdinand  David's 
magic  violin  were  heard  for  the  first  time  in 
the  Gewandhaus.  Every  effort  was  at  once 
made  to  secure  this  dear  friend  of  Mendels- 


LEIPZIG.  75 

sohn's  youth,  and  lie  was  offered  the  situation 
of  Concertmeister  of  the  Gewandhaus  orches- 
tra, vacant  by  the  death  of  Matha'i.  He  ac- 
cepted the  offer,  and  is  still  to  be  seen  at  his 
music-desk  in  Leipzig,  one  of  the  most  bril- 
liant centers  of  musical  life  there,  and  the  soul 
of  the  Conservatorium. 

In  the  course  of  that  autumn,  Mendelssohn's 
heart  was  saddened  by  his  first  severe  sor- 
row ;  he  lost  his  beloved  father,  to  whom  he 
had  always  been,  in  his  filial  reverence,  so 
tenderly  and  lovingly  submissive,  which  in- 
deed his  letters  to  his  father,  and  also  about 
him,  most  touchingly  prove.  His  letter  to 
Pastor  Schubring,  in  Dessau,  expresses  his 
deep  affliction  in  a  very  affecting  manner: — 

"  You  have  no  doubt  heard  of  the  heavy 
stroke  that  has  fallen  on  my  happy  life,  and 
those  dear  to  me.  It  is  the  greatest  misfor- 
tune that  could  have  befallen  me,  and  a  trial 
that  I  must  either  strive  to  bear  up  against,  or 
must  utterly  sink  under.  I  say  this  to  myself 
after  the  lapse  of  three  weeks,  without  the 
acute  anguish  of  the  first  days,  but  I  feel  it 


70  REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

the  more  deeply;  a  new  life  must  begin  for 
me,  or  all  must  be  at  an  end — the  old  life  is 
now  severed." 

In  another  part  of  the  letter  he  says : — • 
"  I  do  not  know  whether  you  are  aware  that, 
more  especially  for  some  years  past,  my  father 
was  so  good  to  me,  so  thoroughly  my  friend, 
that  I  was  devoted  to  him  with  my  whole  soul, 
and  during  my  long  absence  I  scarcely  ever 
passed  an  hour  without  thinking  of  him ; 
but  as  you  knew  him  in  his  own  home  with 
us,  in  all  his  kindliness,  you  can  well  realize 
my  state  of  mind.  The  only  thing  that  now 
remains  is  to  do  one's  duty,  and  this  I  strive 
to  accomplish  with  all  my  strength,  for  he 
would  wish  it  to  be  so  if  he  were  still  present, 
and  I  shall  never  cease  to  endeavor  to  gain  his 
approval  as  I  formerly  did,  though  I  can  no 
longer  enjoy  it." 

And  this  trial  he  bore  bravely,  taking  refuge, 
with  all  the  earnest  purpose  of  his  artistic  soul, 
in  a  noble  and  grave  work — the  completion  of 
his  "  St.  Paul."  Probably  the  chorus,  "  Be- 
hold !  happy  is  he,"  sprang  from  the  remem- 


77 

brance  of  the  well-beloved  and  departed  one, 
and  doubtless  many  a  tear  fell  on  its  pag  es. 

According  to  raj  men  feelings,  nothing  can 
denote  more  profound  sorrow,  and  yet  more 
resignation,  piety,  and  sublimity,  than  this 
chorus.  I  do  not  think  of  what  musicians  say 
as  to  the  beauty  of  the  composition,  it  only 
seems  to  me  that  this  "  Behold  ! "  must  have 
strengthened  and  comforted  the  heart  of  the 
composer  himself,  and  that  of  many  others  also. 
No  one  can  hear  it  without  tears;  but  the 
sorrow  is  that  of  a  sufferer  who  has  learned  to 
say,  "  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken 
away  ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord !  " 

During  the  whole  of  the  following  winter, 
till  far  in  the  spring,  he  could  not  cast  off  the 
burden  of  his  severe  affliction,  and  his  letters 
of  that  date  are  all  written  in  the  minor  key. 
Thus  he  writes  to  the  talented  Orientalist, 
Friedrich  Rosen,  in  London,  too  early  snatched 
away  by  death  : — 

"  I  feel  like  a  person  waking  drowsily.  I 
cannot  succeed  in  realizing  the  present,  and 
there  is  a  constant  alternation  of  my  old  habi- 


78  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

tual  cheerfulness  and  the  most  heartfelt  deep 
grief,  so  that  I  cannot  attain  to  anything  like 
steady  composure  of  mind.  In  the  meantime, 
however,  I  occupy  myself  as  much  as  possible, 
and  that  is  the  only  thing  that  does  me  good. 
My  position  here  is  of  the  most  agreeable 
nature — cordial  people,  a  good  orchestra,  the 
most  susceptible  and  grateful  musical  public ; 
only  just  as  much  work  to  do  as  I  like,  and  an 
opportunity  of  hearing  my  new  compositions 
at  once,  which  is,  indeed,  all  I  can  wish.  I 
have  plenty  of  pleasant  society  besides,  so  that 
this  would  indeed  seem  to  be  all  that  was 
required  to  constitute  happiness,  were  it  not 
deeper  seated ! " 

I  may  here  make  mention  of  a  little  three- 
fold relic  that  I  lately  saw,  an  admirably  en- 
graved head  of  Go' the  on  a  seal.  Gothe  himself 
gave  the  stone  to  Mendelssohn,  and,  in  leaving 
England,  Felix  presented  it  to  his  dear  friend 
Rosen,  and  now  this  gift  of  affection  has  passed 
into  the  hands  of  his  brother  Paul,  as  the  last 
token  of  remembrance  of  the  beloved  departed, 
and  cherished  by  him  as  a  sacred  treasure. 


LEIPZIG.  79 

In  the  year  1835,  besides  completing  his 
"St.  Paul,"  Mendelssohn  composed  a  Cap- 
riccio  and  Fugue  for  the  piano,  and  likewise 
"DasWaldschloss,"  a  song  too  little  known, 
and  which  is  imbued  with  the  romance  and 
fragrance  of  the  forest. 

All  this  grief  was  at  last  succeeded  by  a 
bright  sunny  day  of  joy — the  performance  of 
"  St.  Paul,"  to  which  I  have  already  alluded,  in 
Diisseldorf,  with  Fischer-Achten,  Frau  Buhnau- 
(irabau,  and  Mersinu'. 

It  was  after  this  brilliant  festival — Mendels- 
sohn being  at  that  time  on  a  visit  to  Schadow 
— that  a  stranger  was  announced  who  wished 
to  speak  to  him  on  a  matter  of  importance. 
Presently  there  came  into  the  charming  salon, 
full  of  flowers,  statues,  and  chefs  cTceuvre  of 
painting,  a  homely,  quiet  man,  accompanied  by 
a  timid  girl,  scarcely  beyond  the  age  of  child- 
hood, her  black  hair  hanging  down  in  thick 
plaits  on  her  shoulders,  her  large  dark  eyes 
glancing  with  nervous  anxiety  at  the  celebra- 
ted composer  of  "  St.  Paul,"  while  the  color 
on  her  cheeks  varied  from  white  to  red.  It 


80  REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

was  Sophie  Schloss,  afterward  so  renowned 
as  a  singer,  and  her  father.  The  latter  humbly 
entreated  the  master  to  give  him  his  opinion 
about  the  voice  of  his  child,  requesting  him  to 
try  it,  as  it  depended  solely  on  his  verdict 
whether  his  little  girl  should  be  educated  as  a 
singer.  Mendelssohn  kindly  stroked  the  head 
of  the  child,  whose  dark  eyes  met  his  encoura- 
ging glance.  His  few  cheering  words — and 
no  one  knew  better  how  to  speak  thus,  and  to 
inspire  self-reliance  in  genuine  modesty — soon 
lit  up  the  youthful  face  with  a  smile.  "  What 
will  you  sing  to  me  ? "  "  On  the  wings  of 
song."  "  Really !  "Well,  then,  let  us  take 
flight  together ! "  He  seated  himself  at  the 
piano,  and  looked  once  more  at  the  little  singer 
with  a  smile — and  ah !  who  could  smile  like 
him,  when  wishing  to  inspire  confidence  in  a 
timid  heart  ? — and  then  the  full  tones  of  a 
grand  contralto  resounded  in  the  large  room. 
Sophie  Schloss  went  fearlessly  through  her 
song ;  only  just  toward  the  close,  the  con- 
sciousness of  her  bold  attempt,  and  the  dread 
of  her  judge  and  his  verdict,  seemed  all  of  a 


LEIPZIG.  81 

sudden  to  rush  like  a  stream  of  lava  on  her 
remembrance,  and  the  last  tones  were  tremu- 
lous. 

Mendelssohn's  hands  glided  from  the  keys, 
and  he  said,  "  That  was  excellent !  You  have 
a  voice  of  gold,  and  must  positively  become  a 
great  singer."  And  thus  was  the  career  of 
the  young  novice  in  art  decided.  Sophie 
Schloss  took  leave  of  the  master,  her  face 
beaming  with  joy ;  the  beautiful  long  tresses 
were  now  wound  round  her  head,  her  short 
frocks  lengthened,  and  a  few  weeks  afterward 
the  "  little  girl,"  with  her  portfolio  under  her 
arm,  was  to  be  seen  in  daily  attendance  at  the 
Conservatoire  in  Paris,  where  she  soon  became 
Bordogni's  favorite  pupil,  studying  with  unflag- 
ging energy  and  ardent  zeal — k>  that  I  may- 
soon  be  able  to  sing  something  tolerably  good 

to  him"  said  she,  daily. 
3* 


CHAPTER  IY. 

7RANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE. 

Maiden  fair ! 
Thy  lustrous  eyes 
Shine  brighter  than  the  sun  : 
Beyond  compare 
The  rarest  prize 
That  manhood  ever  won. 
Life  and  death  alone  with  thee 
Were  joy  to  all  eternity. 

Blossoming  flowers 
Of  endless  hue 
Before  thy  radiance  die ; 
Through  long,  long  hours, 
Though  tempests  strew 
The  snow-flakes  as  they  fly, 
I  watch,  and  linger  at  the  goal, 
For  thee— thou  idol  of  my  soul ! 

MENDELSSOHN'S  stay  in  Leipzig  was  inter- 
rupted by  a  visit  of  some  months  to  Frankfort- 
on-the-Maine,  where  he  became  the  substitute 
of  his  invalid  friend  Schelble,  who  urgently  re- 
quired rest.  I  wonder  whether  any  presenti- 
ment crossed  his  soul  of  the  happiness  that  he 
was  destined  to  find  there,  when  he  once  more 
beheld  that  ancient  city  on  the  Maine,  with  its 
venerable  dome  and  ancient  watch-tower  en- 


FBANKFOKT-OX-TIIE-MAIXE.  83 

compassed  with  a  garland  of  blooming-  gardens 
and  forest  verdure,  and  adorned  by  the  proud 
diadem  of  the  Taunus  ?  AVhose  heart  would 
not  beat  more  quickly  at  the  sight  of  that  en- 
chanting spot,  assuming  at  times  a  distinctly 
southern  character,  so  glowing  appears  the  col- 
oring in  the  golden  light  of  evening  ?  And 
the  susceptible,  finely  attuned  soul  of  the  artist, 
so  alive  to  all  the  beauties  of  nature,  received 
such  impressions  in  double  force. 

From  the  date  of  the  labors  of  the  distin- 
guished originator  and  director  of  the  "  St. 
Cecilia  Association,"  Johann  Nepomuk  Schel- 
ble,  a  stirring  musical  life  had  reigned  in 
Frankfort.  Not  only  did  they  love  music,  but 
they  advanced  its  interests  in  the  most  bril- 
liant way  in  all  its  phases.  Schelble's  method 
of  teaching  singing,  the  results  of  which  were 
so  wonderful,  produced  numerous  voices  of 
rare  beauty ;  he  discovered  and  trained  even 
children's  voices,  promoting  their  growth,  just 
as  a  skillful  gardener  guards  and  cherishes  his 
flowers,  from  the  earliest  seed  to  the  developed 
blossom.  The  far-famed  "St.  Cecilia  Associ- 


84  REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

ation"  consisted  chiefly  of  the  grateful  pupils 
of  this  inimitable  teacher. 

At  the  time  that  Mendelssohn  came  to 
Frankfort,  Schelble  was  both  morally  and  phy- 
sically broken  down  by  bad  health  and  trials 
of  various  kinds ;  thus  the  breath  of  a  fresh 
breeze  seemed  to  enter  the  hall  when  the 
youthful  substitute  of  the  sorrow-stricken  mas- 
ter wielded  his  Mton  for  the  first  time  to  direct 
the  vocal  society.  How  many  bright  eyes  and 
searching  glances  were  eagerly  directed  toward 
him  !  how  many  fair  lips  were  preparing  to 
pronounce  their  verdict  on  him  !  He  was  of 
course  already  a  celebrated  man,  a  personage 
of  renown  ;  indeed  Mendelssohn  himself  wrote 
on  this  subject,  in  his  playful  way :  "  The 
'  Melusina'  and  the  '  Hebrides '  are  as  familiar 
to  them  as  to  us  at  home  (I  mean  No.  3  Leipzi- 
ger  Strasse)."  But  the  city  on  the  Maine  had 
invariably  shown  great  self-reliance  in  musical 
matters.  It  did  not  rush  like  many  into  a  dis- 
play of  enthusiasm,  because  others  had  set  the 
example,  but  pa-used  till  the  feeling  was  no 
longer  to  be  resisted. 


FKAXKFORT-OX-THE-MAIXE.  85 

How  youthful  and  delicate  was  the  aspect 
of  the  new  director !  How  slender  and  ele- 
gant his  figure  !  his  demeanor  rather  careless, 
his  movements  animated  and  graceful.  He 
advanced  to  the  piano,  and  made  a  short 
speech  ;  as  he  playfully  writes  to  his  family, 
"  I  made  a  speech  that  deserves  to  have  been 
written  down.'7 

Any  one  who  ever  heard  Mendelssohn  speak 
extempore,  could  certainly  never  forget  it ; 
there  was  something  quite  irresistible  in  his 
mode  of  address,  which  was  intelligent  and 
natural,  peculiarly  natural — no  striving  after 
effect,  no  fine  phrases,  but  thoroughly  cordial 
and  ami  able.  The  tone  of  his  voice,  too,  cap- 
tivated  all  hearts ;  his  animated  countenance, 
his  matchless  smile,  the  flash  of  his  eye,  and  a 
slight  occasional  gesture  of  the  hand.  When 
he  spoke  thus,  every  one  gladly  did  what  he 
wished,  and  saw  everything  in  the  light  he  de- 
sired, even  though  a  short  time  previously 
they  had  solemnly  vowed  neither  to  do  nor  to 
see  as  he  did.  He  was  quite  victorious  in  the 
'•  St.  Cecilia  Association ;  "  they  were  not  only 


86  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

secretly  enchanted  with  him,  but  spoke  enthu- 
siastically of  him  in  public — an  occurrence 
more  rare  in  Frankfort  than  in  any  city  what- 
ever. 

The  first  evening  that  Mendelssohn  directed, 
he  selected  choruses  from  "  Samson  "  to  be 
sung,  and  portions  of  Bach's  B  minor  Mass. 
"  Bach  went  almost  faultlessly,"  writes  he, 
"  and  I  had  a  fresh  opportunity  of  admiring 
how  Schelble,  by  dint  of  his  admirable  tena- 
city, has  succeeded  in  making  his  will  obeyed." 

Mendelssohn's  social  life  assumed  a  most 
agreeable  form;  he  was  sought  after  and 
courted  in  every  way ;  the  first  families  in 
Frankfort  vied  with  each  other  in  giving 
him  fetes.  The  chance  presence  of  his 
friend  Hiller  was  a  source  of  particular  satis- 
faction to  him,  he  having  likewise  felt  an  im- 
pulse, when  in  a  "  fair  and  distant  land,"  to 
re-visit  his  beloved  native  city.  Doubtless 
many  a  pleasant  hour  flitted  by  in  that  well- 
known  corner  room,  whence  there  was  a  view 
of  the  ancient  Wartthurm,  and  where  much 
good  music  was  heard;  there,  too,  many  a 


FRANKFORT-OX-TIIE-MAINK.  >'  7 

critical  veivlict  was  passed,  not  only  on  music, 
but — on  the  fair  ladies  of  Frankfort,  to  whom 
Frau  Hiller,  so  good  a  judge  of  her  sex,  and 
so  justly  proud  of  her  countrywomen,  directed 
the  attention  of  her  gifted  friend.  Many 
musical  birds  of  passage  migrated  thither  at 
that  time,  Rossini  among  others — that  ever- 
youthful,  gay,  dazzling,  witty  man  of  the 
world  ;  there  was  always  some  fresh  excite- 
ment and  work  "  for  hands  and  hearts  in 
plenty,"  as  the  "  Miillerlied  "  says.  In  such 
society,  and  in  such  sunshine,  the  veil  of  sor- 
row cast  by  the  death  of  the  father  on  the 
heart  of  the  son,  was  gradually  withdrawn, 
the  sky  over  his  head  once  more  became  blue 
and  clear,  and  roses  bloomed  again  on  the 
earth.  "All  seemed  beautiful  and  bright 
around,"  he  writes,  "  such  fruitfulness,  rich- 
ness of  verdure,  gardens,  and  fields,  and  the 
beautiful  blue  hills  as  a  background ;  and  then 
a  forest  beyond ;  to  ramble  there  in  the  eve- 
nings under  the  splendid  beech-trees,  ainoug 
the  innumerable  herbs  and  flowers,  and  black- 
berries and  strawberries,  makes  the  heart  swell 


88  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN*. 

with  gratitude."  AVith  regard  to  his  own 
labors — that  is,  compositions — much  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  accomplished  during  this 
happy  season.  Mendelssohn's  stay  in  Frank- 
fort was  in  reality  a  dolcefar  niente,  with  the 
exception  of  his  occupation  in  the  "  St.  Cecilia 
Association."  Direct  intercourse  with  nature, 
and  with  a  few  chosen  friends,  was  for  him  the 
very  highest  enjoyment ;  he  never  cared  for 
brilliant  society,  nor  for  rushing  from  fete  to 
fete.  The  esteemed  musician  had  received 
from  an  agreeable  Frankforter,  whose  ac- 
quaintance he  made  in  Leipzig,  a  letter  of 
introduction  to  the  widow  of  Consistorialrath 
Jeanrenaud,  the  venerated  Pastor  of  the  French 
Protestant  church  ;  and  here  it  was  that  the 
destiny  of  his  heart  was  decided.  In  that 
very  house  Mendelssohn  met  with  those  sweet 
eyes,  "  blue  and  loving,"  that  were  one  day  to 
become  the  light  of  his  life.  The  time  came 
at  last  when  he  could  sing  these  lines : — 

There  is  a  child  with  a  ro*y  mouth, 

And  bright  brown  curling  hair ; 
In  east  or  west,  in  north  or  south, 

None  with  her  can  compare. 


FRANKFORT-OX-TIIE-MAIXE.  89 

Cecile  Jeanrenaud,  whose  mother  belonged 

7  O 

to  a  distinguished  emigrant  family,  was  at  that 
period  considered  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
girls  in  Frankfort,  always  so  rich  in  female 
charms,  where  indeed  to  this  day,  as  in  Saxony, 
"fair  maidens  grow  on  every  tree;"  and  when 
I  now  recall  her  image  as  I  first  saw  her,  though 
some  time  after  her  marriage,  I  feel  that  to 
this  present  hour  she  has  always  remained  my 
lean  ideal  of  womanly  fascination  and  loveli- 
ness. I  admired  her  with  all  the  impetuosity 
of  a  young  imaginative  creature.  Her  figure 
was  slight,  of  middle  hight,  and  rather  droop- 
ing, like  a  flower  heavy  with  dew,  her  luxuri- 
ant golden-brown  hair  fell  in  rich  (juris  on  her 
shoulders,  her  complexion  was  of  transparent 
delicacy,  her  smile  charming,  and  she  had  the 
most  bewitching  deep  blue  eyes  I  ever  beheld, 
with  dark  eyelashes  and  eyebrows.  Such  was 
the  fair  wife  of  Mendelssohn.  How  often, 
amid  "snow-flakes  as  they  fly,"  have  I  stood 
in  a  corner  of  the  Gewandhaus  stairs,  waiting 
to  see  her  glide  past  me  at  the  close  of  the  con- 
cert, when  her  fair  face  looked  forth  through 


90  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

the  transparent  vail  in  which  it  was  wrapped, 
like  the  bright  moon  emerging  from  dark 
clouds,  while  her  eyes  shone  like  stars. 

I  was  once  in  her  room,  when  she  addressed 
a  few  friendly  words  to  me.  A  singer  with 
•whom  I  was  acquainted  had  brought  me  with 
her,  and  while  the  two  ladies  were  conversing, 
I  gazed  at  Cecile  Mendelssohn  in  silent  admi- 
ration. Ah !  such  a  feeling  of  enthusiasm, 
known  to  few,  is,  after  all,  the  most  delightful 
thing  in  the  world  !  To  be  able  to  admire  the 
grand  or  the  beautiful  as  I  have  a  thousand 
times  done,  and  still  do,  is  a  blessed  frame  of 
mind — perhaps  somewhat  akin  to  the  ecstacy 
produced  by  the  intoxication  of  opium,  but 
without  the  depressing  effects  it  leaves.  On 
that  day  Cecile  Mendelssohn  wore  a  dark-blue 
silk  dress,  a  lace  collar  and  cuffs,  without  orna- 
ment ;  but  her  whole  aspect  had  a  Madonna 
air — the  only  way  in  which  I  can  define  it — • 
what  Berthold  Auerbach  so  beautifully  calls 
Marienhaft  The  celebrated  Magnus,  in  Ber- 
lin, subsequently  painted  her.  I  never  saw  the 
portrait,  which  was  much  praised,  but  I  only 


FRANKFORT-ON-TIIE-MAl.X  K.  91 

wish  I  could  have  painted  her  as  I  saw  her 
on  that  day.  Her  manner  was  generally 
thought  too  reserved  ;  indeed  she  was  consid- 
ered cold,  and  called  "  the  fair  Mimosa."  In 
music  we  have  an  expressive  term,  "  calm  but 
impassioned,"  and  this  I  deem  an  appropriate  in- 
scription for  the  portrait  of  Cecile  Mendelssohn. 
The  two  sisters,  Cecile  and  Julie  Jeanrenaud, 
formed  a  charming  contrast.  The  one  bril- 
liant and  gay,  playful,  fragile  as  a  vapor,  fairy- 
like,  with  fair  hair,  and  eyes  as  blue  as  forget- 
me-nots  ;  while  the  other  was  grave,  with  that 
wonderful  expression  in  her  glance  that  realized 
the  tradition  of  "  eyes  of  consolation." 

Felix  Mendelssohn  then  wooed  this  youthful 
virgin  rose  with 

Yearning, 

And  burning, 

In  passion  and  pain,* 

like  every  other  mortal  in  a  similar  condition. 

Thy  lustrous  eyes  shine  brighter  than  the  sun, 

many  a  day  and  many  a  night  found  its  echo 
in  his  heart,  and  that  he  never  failed  to  lie  in 
wait  for  her  is  also  indubitable,  and  even  he 

*  From  the  Translation  of  ''Egmo.it1'  by  A.  D.  Coleridge,  Esq. 


92  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

was  forced  sometimes  to  "  wait  long,  long 
hours  "  before  she  appeared — though,  let  us 
hope,  not  as  in  the  song,  "  when  tempests 
strew  the  snow-flakes  as  they  fly,"  for  it  chanced 
to  be  the  lovely  spring  and  summer  time. 

But  assuredly  no  effort  was  irksome  to  him 
for  her  sake;  while  all  his  anxiety,  waiting,  and 
watching  were  speedily  swept  away  and  for- 
gotten when  at  last  he  saw  her,  "  the  idol  of 
his  soul." 

The  state  of  excitement  and  agitation  caused 
by  such  mental  emotions  in  the  delicately  or- 
ganized nature  of  Mendelssohn,  subjected  to 
all  those  alternations  of  "  rapturous  delight " 
and  "  deadly  sorrow,"  is  best  proved  by  the  ad- 
vice of  his  clever  young  physician,  Dr.  Spiess, 
in  Frankfort,  who  sent  off  the  young  Direc- 
tor of  the  "  St.  Cecilia  Association  "  with  all 
speed  to  Schevening,  in  order  to  strengthen 
his  nerves ;  and  his  betrothal  did  not  take  place 
till  after  his  return  from  those  sea-baths. 

A  gay  rural  excursion  had  been  arranged — • 
a  reunion  of  agreeable  people,  quite  an  enibar- 
ras  de  richesses  of  lovely  women  ;  while  j 


FIIA  XKF(  >IiT-OX-TIIE-MAIXE.  93 

and  laughter  resounded  everywhere  in  the  glo- 
rious sunshine.  An  expedition  to  the  beautiful 
Taunus  had  been  fixed  on,  and  in  that  charming 
spot,  Kronthal,  words  were  at  length  spoken 
that  eyes  had  long  since  betrayed  ;  and  a  happy 
engaged  couple  emerged  from  the  green  foiv>t, 
and  were  greeted  by  the  most  cordial  congratu- 
lations— and  it  was  thus  the  musician  found 
hi*  earthly  St.  Cecilia.  When  Mendelssohn 
returned  to  Leipzig,  the  most  ardent  and  loving 
aspirations  were  wafted  thence  to  his  beloved 
bride,  and  that  wonderfully  touching 

Ah  !  wi-j-tcrn  winds,  I  envy  thee 
Thy  moist  and  balmy  breath. 

The  sun  of  love  now  matured  flowers  of  sono- 

C5 

in  richest  luxuriance,  and  the  book  (Op.  34) 
that  Mendelssohn  dedicated  to  his  fair  sister- 
in-law  is  imbued  with  a  profound  happy  love 
and  the  rejoicing  of  an  overflowing  heart,  not 
to  be  found  in  any  of  his  other  works. 

We  find  a  blank  in  Mendelssohn's  published 
letters;  we  have  the  singing  and  ringing  tones 
of  this  most  jo}rful  period  of  his  life,  but 
not  one  wr'iit>  /<  word ;  not  in  the  whole  of  that 


94:  REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN". 

rich  treasury  do  we  gather  the  slightest  indica- 
tion of  the  all-important  relations  to  his  bride 
and  his  wife.  In  reply  to  a  remark  of  mine  on 
this  subject,  a  dear  and  valued  friend  said : 
"Many  of  those  who  were  eye-witnesses  of 
Mendelssohn's  domestic  felicity  have  deeply 
lamented  that  all  allusions  to  it  should  have 
been  omitted ;  but  this  was  prompted  by  the 
wish  to  respect  the  will  of  her  who  is  now  no 
more,  and  who  was  always  so  averse  to  such 
publicity :  these  feelings  induced  her,  during 
her  last  illness,  and  with  a  presentiment  of  ap- 
proaching death,  to  burn,  with  her  own  hands, 
every  letter  addressed  to  herself  by  her  hus- 
band. Strange  as  this  proceeding  may  appear 
to  many,  we,  who  were  near  and  dear  to  her, 
are  too  well  acquainted  with  her  reasons  to 
trench  on  sensibilities  which  have  long  since 
remingled  in  the  great  All  of  love  eternal." 

How  many  charming  pages,  greetings  from 
heart  to  heart,  must  at  that  period  have  flown 
between  Leipzig  and  Frankfort ! — and  when  I 
hear  the  Gothe-Mendelssohn  song,  "Die  Lie- 
bende  schreibt,"  I  always  think  of  the  blue 


I  i; A NKFORT-ON-TIIE-MAIX K.  95 

eyes  of  the  girl,  thoughtfully  dwelling  on  the 
page,  her  luxuriant  curls  drooping,  and  her 
cheeks  flushing  like  one  softly  saying  to  her 
lover : — 

Afar  from  friends,  afar  from  thee, 
I  can  but  think  of  all  that's  dear  : 

But  aye  with  thought  comes  memory. 
And  with  remembrance  comes  a  tear. 

During  the  sunny  times  of  1836,  '37  and 
'38,  were  written  the  splendid  42nd  Psalm, 
the  D  minor  Quartette  for  stringed  instru- 
ments, a  pianoforte  concerto,  several  quartette, 
preludes,  and  fugues  for  piano  and  organ,  a 
serenade  for  pianoforte  and  orchestra,  a  sonata, 
a  quartette  for  male  voices,  and  the  enchant- 
ing song  "  Im  Griinen  "  for  soprano,  alto,  tenor, 
and  bass,  a  "  Song  without  words,"  in  A  minor, 
and  an  exquisite  Book  of  Songs,  containing 
"  Suleika,"  the  95th  Psalm,  and  also  spring- 
ing with  such  fervor  from  the  depths  of  the 
heart,  "  O  come,  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord." 
Leipzig  felt  the  warmest  sympathy  in  the  hap- 
piness of  its  favorite.  Both  in  private  soci- 
ety and  in  the  public  concert-hall,  his  betrothal 
was  celebrated.  In  the  Gewandhaus  concert, 


96  KEMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

at  the  following  words  in  the  final  chorus  of 

o 

u  Fidelio,"  "  He  who  has  gained  a  charming 
wife,"  a  loud  shout  of  rejoicing  burst  forth,  on 
which  Mendelssohn,  excited  by  the  emotions 
of  the  moment  and  by  his  own  feelings,  seated 
himself  at  the  piano,  and  extemporized  for 
the  first  time  before  an  assembled  public.  He 
took  up  the  theme  in  question  from  "  Fidelio," 
and  varied  it  in  such  a  rich,  diversified,  and 
astonishing  manner,  that  all  the  audience  were 
profoundly  touched.  Whole  volumes  of  let- 
ters and  poems  seemed  to  lie  in  these  tones 
and  chords,  hurrying  as  it  were  "  on  the  wings 
of  song,"  over  hills  and  dales  and  valleys  to 
the  far-distant  beloved  one. 

The  most  important  musical  incident  of 
that  date  was  the  performance  of  "  St.  Paul." 
Mendelssohn  conducted  the  rehearsals  with  un 
wearied  zeal ;  and  the  orchestra,  as  well  as  the 
singers,  300  in  number,  practiced  and  studied 
the  work  with  the  most  intense  good-will  and 
delight.  The  performance  itself,  in  the  illu- 
minated Pauline  Church,  had  a  most  glorious 
effect.  The  greatest  excitement  prevailed  in 


FKAXKFl  >KT-OX-THE-MAIXE.  97 

the  whole  town,  and,  for  once,  critics  were  ex- 
crptionally  unanimous  in  their  admiration  of 
the  work,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
performed.  There  was  not  a  single  person 
present  who  did  not  heartily  and  cordially  be- 
stow on  the  young  composer  the  fresh  laurel- 
wreath,  entwined  by  fair  hands,  and  laid  on 
this  director's  desk.  Then  came  the  "  merry 
month  of  May,"  and  with  it  Mendelssohn's 
wedding-day. 

Felix  and  (A'-cile  were  married  in  the  "Wallon 
Church  at  Frankfort,  in  the  presence  of  a  con- 
gregation among  whom  their  pastor,  the  father 
of  the  lovely  bride,  had  so  successfully  labored. 
All  Frankfort  was  astir  on  that  day  to  see  the 
young  couple.  After  the  wedding  was  over, 
the  happy  pair  took  refuge  from  the  world  in 
the  romantic  depths  of  the  Black  Forest, 
dreaming  away  days  such  as  are  rarely  vouch- 
safed to  mortals.  Rinaldo  lay  at  Armida's 
feet,  only  with  the  difference  that  this  Rinaldo 
never,  like  the  hero  of  Gluck,  asked,  "  Armida, 
why  dost  thou  flee  from  me  ?  " 

Diisseldorf  was  the  object  of  their  first  ex- 


98  REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

cursion.  Mendelssohn  brought  his  young  wife 
to  his  dear  old  friends  there.  It  was  Hollen- 
bart  (Hildebrandt),  in  fact,  who  often  jestingly 
advised  Felix,  when,  by  his  nervous  restless- 
ness, he  disturbed  his  companions  and  tore  his 
white  handkerchief  with  his  teeth,  to  take  to 
smoking  in  order  to  tranquilize  him  —  or  to 
take  a  wife.  "  Have  I  not  shown  good  sense 
in  preferring  to  take  such  a  wife  as  this  ?  "  he 
said,  with  a  happy  smile,  when  thay  met 
again. 

The  fair  friend  of  Mendelssohn,  to  whom  I 
have  already  alluded,  described  a  charming  eve- 
Ding  with  the  W family  daring  his  stay  on 

that  occasion.  The  old  father  of  the  family  was 
then  in  Berlin  with  his  daughters,  so  the  son, 
Ferdinand,  begged  Fran  Malwine  to  do  the 
honors  of  the  house  for  him.  How  joyfully 
she  acceded  to  this !  Frau  Jeanrenaud  and 
her  eldest  daughter  had  accompanied  the 
young  couple  ;  Graf  2s  asselrode  with  his  wife 
and  beautiful  daughter  were  present;  Eietz, 
Mendelssohn's  worthy  successor,  the  Schadows, 
Stienbr  ticks,  and  others.  The  most  unaffected 


FKAXKFOKT-OX-THE-MAI N  I..  99 

gayety  pervaded  the  little  circle ;  Mendelssohn 
was  in  the  most  brilliant  spirits ;  and  the  Ma- 
donna face  of  Cecile,  the  queen  rose  among 
all  the  lovely  women  present,  excited  universal 
enthusiasm.  After  supper  there  was  music. 
While  Mendelssohn  was  playing  Beethoven's 
"  Ivreutzer  Sonata  "  with  Rietz,  and  all  were 
reverentially  listening,  a  little  mouse  glided 
out  of  a  corner  and  sat  in  the  midst  of  the 
circle  motionless,  as  if  spell-bound  by  the 
magic  tones.  2so  doubt  it  would  have  re- 
mained in  the  same  position  till  the  playing 
ceased,  had  not  one  of  the  ladies  made  an 
abrupt  gesture  in  horror  of  the  formidable 
monster,  which  caused  a  slight  commotion, 
and  drove  away  the  four-footed  enthusiastic 
amateur. 

During  this  vi>it  to  Diisseldorf,  a  splendid 
edition  'of  "  St.  Paul ?'  was  presented  to  Men- 
delssohn, embellished  by  the  finest  composi- 
tions of  the  Diisseldorf  painters.  Schrodter 
composed  the  title-page.  The  noble  modesty 
of  Felix's  nature,  notwithstanding  all  his  artis- 
tic self  -  consciousness,  was  here  again  most 


100          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

pleasingly  displayed.  "  I  could  not  show  this 
to  any  one  without  feeling  ashamed,"  said  he. 
On  which  Cecile  came  forward,  and,  placing 
her  hand  on  the  work,  looked  at  her  husband 
with  beaming  eyes,  saying,  "  Then  give  it  to 
me ;  I  will  show  it  to  every  one  with  pride 
and  joy." 

All  who  came  into  familiar  contact  with 
Hendelssolin  were  well  acquainted  with  his 
modesty ;  his  mother  used  to  call  him  "  the 
reverse  of  a  charlatan  ;  "  but  Frau  Malwine 
S still  remembers  a  speech  of  Paul  Men- 
delssohn's with  regard  to  this  peculiarity  in  his 
brother's  character.  At  a  supper-party,  given 
after  one  of  the  Diisseldorf  musical  festivals 
to  the  composer  of  "  St.  Paul,"  a  fair  lady 
present  requested  the  brother  of  the  celebrated 
director  to  give  his  health.  His  answer,  how- 
ever, was  very  decided.  "  I  dare  not  do  so  ; 
Felix  would  take  it  so  terribly  amiss  on  my 
part — not  one  of  his  family  would  run  such  a 
risk." 

During  his  whole  life,  Diisseldorf  was  ever 
and  always  a  favorite  resting-place  of  Felix 


FRANKFOKT-ON-THE-MAINE.  101 

Mendelssohn's.  It  was  there  also  where  he  first 
learned  to  know  and  to  love  the  veteran  mas- 
ter Spohr.  He  returned  thither  as  often  as  he 
could,  and  his  friends  there  saw  first  of  all 
many  of  his  most  important  creations,  while 
beloved  and  familiar  voices  sang  for  him,  in  a 
small  select  circle,  many  an  opus  of  which  the 
world  had  as  yet  no  presentiment,  and  he  also 
phned  to  them  what  no  ear  had  previously 
heard.  AVith  what  rejoicing,  with  what  enthu- 
siasm was  lie  ever  welcomed  there,  by  the  public 
as  well  r,s  in  the  houses  of  his  friends  !  When 
he  came,  it  seemed  always  like  one  grand  family 
festival,  the  whole  town  taking  an  interest  in 
his  arrival,  and  looking  on  him  as  a  kind  of 
property  of  their  own.  and  sunning  themselves 
in  the  brightness  of  his  fame. 

The  Whitsuntide  Festival  of  1839,  directed 
by  Mendelssohn,  with  Julius  Eietz,  may  be 
pronounced  one  of  the  most  brilliant  epochs  in 
the  musical  annals  of  T'usseldorf.  Handel's 
u  Messiah "  was  performed,  and  Beethoven's 
Mass  in  C,  and  likewise,  for  the  first  time,  that 
splendid  work  of  Mendelssohn's,  the  42nd 


102          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Psalm.  A  triad  of  female  singers  was  there 
united,  such  as  could  be  rarely  met  with  in 
similar  perfection.  The  fair-haired  Auguste 
von  Fassmann,  the  most  aristocratic  "  Count- 
ess "  in  Mozart's  "  Figaro  "  that  ever  sang  the 
lament  of  "  Dove  sono  ;  "  the  enchanting  Clara 
!Nbvello,  whose  voice  was  as  fresh  and  redolent 
of  spring  as  her  face  and  her  disposition  ;  and 
the  nightingale  of  contraltos,  Sophie  Schloss. 
During  the  rehearsal,  when  Soohie  Schloss 

O  *. 

had  sung  her  first  recitative,  Mendelssohn  sud- 
denly laid  down  his  Mton,  and  bending  for- 
ward over  his  desk  to  the  singer,  he  asked  with 
amusing  gravity,  "  Tell  me  once  more — is  it 
really  the  same  little  girl  with  long  black  plaits 
of  hair  who  has  just  sung  so  admirably  ?  " 

Clara  Novello  on  that  day  sang  like  a 
harbinger  of  spring,  or  a  glad  exulting  lark, 
while  nothing  could  be  more  deeply  impressive 
than  the  faith  and  fervent  belief  of  her  render- 
ing of  the  air,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth." 

She  appeared  on  that  occasion  for  the  first 
time  on  the  Rhine,  though  already  renowned 


FK.VXKFORT-OX-TIIE-M.UXi:.  103 

in  England  as  its  most  favorite  singer.  The 
musical  notices  of  that  concert  season,  on  the 
subject  of  the  fascinating  songstress,  recall  the 
triumphal  career  of  a  Sontag.  The  pure  sil- 
very ring  of  her  voice,  the  thorough  cultivation 
of  her  organ,  her  finished  shake  and  brilliant 
execution,  excited  the  greatest  admiration. 
Mendelssohn  had  already  heard  Clara  Xovello 
at  the  Birmingham  Musical  Festival,  -which  he 
directed  soon  after  his  marriage,  while  Cecile 
remained  with  her  mother  and  sister  ;  he  had 
invited  the  charming  vocalist  to  come  to  Leip- 
zig, where  she  sang  in  the  Gewandhaus  amid 
the  most  lively  enthusiasm.  This  star  also,  like 
many  another  in  the  musical  horizon,  is  now 
set.  Clara  Xovello  is  become  a  lady  of  aris- 
tocracy, and  has  long  since  retired  from  public 
life. 

With  what  delight  Sophie  Schloss-Guhrau, 
in  a  letter  now  lying  before  me,  speaks  of  those 
ft  >n IKT  days  in  Diisseldorf !  With  what  warmth 
she  recalls  her  celebrated  colleagues,  and  their 
amiability  toward  her,  a  youthful  debvtamte  : 
the  beaming  kindness  of  Mendelssohn  after  the 


lOi       REM:XIS(  i:x<  KS  OF  MENDELSSOHN. 

performance  of  the  Beethoven  Mass,  "  which 
went  so  splendidly,  that  it  was  quite  a  pleasure 
to  hear  it ! "  She  refers  with  peculiar  delight  to 
the  third  day  of  the  Festival,  when  Mendelssohn 
played  his  D  minor  Concerto  with  an  unpre- 
cedented storm  of  applause,  and  accompanied 
so  many  songs  on  the  pianoforte  ;  and  the  joy- 
ous supper,  where  the  distinguished  master  sat 
between  M'me  Fassmaim  and  Clara  Xovello, 
and  little  Sophie  Schloss  opposite,  who,  in  spite 
of  the  marble  vases  filled  with  fragrant  flowers, 
contrived  again  and  again  to  steal  secret  glances 
of  admiration  at  the  master,  whose  countenance 
seemed  lit  up  with  joy ;  his  eyes  beamed,  jest 
and  earnest  alternated  on  his  lips.  M'me 
Fassmann  bent  graciously  toward  him,  her  long 
fair  curls  almost  touching  his  hands;  while 
Clara  Xovello  pouted,  burying  her  sweet  face 
in  a  large  nosegay  of  flowers,  playing  so  prettily 
her  part  of  jealousy,  when  he  talked  once  rather 
longer  to  his  right-hand  neighbor;  amusing 
herself,  too,  by  pelting  her  little  colleague  vis  d 
vis  with  flower-leaves ;  the  little  colleague  her- 
self looking  quite  grave,  and  thinking  in  her 


FUAXKFORT-OX-TIIK-MAIXF.  105 

own  mind  how  pleasant  it  must  be  to  sit  thus 
wholly  sans  gene  beside  the  composer  of  "  St. 
Paul,"  and  to  talk  to  him,  and  people  like  him. 
On  that  evening  she  little  anticipated  how  soon 
and  how  often  this  would  be  her  own  case. 

At  the  close  of  this  musical  festival,  Mendels- 
sohn enquired  Mile  Schloss  for  the  Leipzig 
concerts  in  the  ensuing  winter. 

It  was  at  one  of  these  rehearsals  of  the  u  Mr<- 
siah,''  that  Mendelssohn  started  up  from  the 
piano  in  the  most  violent  agitation,  exclaiming 
in  terror,"!  am  deaf!"  His  friendly  physi- 
cian was  instantly  >ent  for,  and  the  attack  soon 
pa>si'd  away:  but  ( Y-cile  used  afterward  to  tell 
with  a  smile  how  conscientiously,  day  and 
night,  the  patient  swallowed  the  little  powder 
prescribed  by  his  beloved  medical  attendant. 

I  was  also  told  of  another  incident  that  oc- 
curred during  one  of  those  musical  times  at 
Diisseldorf,  which  bears  witness  to  the  marvel- 
ous ear  and  memory  of  Mendelssohn. 

At  one  of  these  festivals,  the  Pastoral  Sym- 
phony was  to  be  performed  on  the  second  day. 
Mendelssohn  had  come  straight  from  England, 


106          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHX. 

just  in  time  to  direct  the  rehearsal.  When  the 
orchestra  were  assembled,  and  Mendelssohn 
proceeded  to  his  desk,  by  some  inconceivable 
negligence,  the  score  of  the  Symphony  was  not 
forthcoming,  nor  was  there  one  to  be  found  at 
the  moment  in  Diisseldorf.  "  Let  us  begin, 
gentlemen,'1  said  Mendelssohn,  in  a  peremptory 
tone  ;  "  I  think  I  shall  be  able  to  direct  the  first 
part  from  memory."  So,  raising  his  magic 
Mton,  the  orchestra  began.  It  seemed  then  as 
if  that  wonderful  work  had  actually  been  the 
creation  of  his  own  spirit,  the  child  of  his  own 
soul.  Every  tone  was  in  his  heart  and  in  his 
ears,  every  separate  part  in  his  memory.  Amid 
all  the  crashing  and  sounding  of  instruments, 
not  a  single  hesitation,  or  unsteady  note,  nor, 
in  fact,  the  most  trifling  defect,  escaped  his 
notice.  He  darted  about  between  his  desk  and 
the  various  instruments,  and  his  ardor  was  so 
kindled  that  he  directed  the  whole  Symphony 
without  a  check,  from  beginning  to  end,  by 
heart.  The  orchestra  were  quite  enraptured, 
and  they  gave  him  an  enthusiastic  flourish  of 
trumpets,  and  from  that  moment  there  was  no 


FR  AXKFORT-OX-THE-MAIXE.  1 07 

musician  that  did  not  swear  by  his  name.  His 
memory,  according  to  the  testimony  of  all  his 
friends,  was  almost  fabulous.  What  he  once 
heard,  he  never  forgot ;  and  if  years  afterward 
any  piece  of  music  was  discussed  that  had  ever 
met  his  ear,  he  invariably  knew  it  by  heart.* 
It  was  the  same  wonderful  artist  and  re- 
nowned composer  who,  during  the  long  inter- 
vals of  the  performance,  contrived  dexterously 
to  withdraw  from  all  ovations — to  rest  and 
cool.  One  glance  sufficed  to  summon  his  friend" 
Hildebrandt  to  his  side,  when  both  slipped 
away  together,  through  .a  side-door,  and  walked- 
off  to  Ilildebrandt's  house,  close  to  the  Becker 
Music  Hall,  where,  quickly  divesting  them- 
selves of  their  coats  and  boots,  and  casting 
themselves  on  the  green  turf  of  the  shady 


*  The  translator  can  bear  witness  to  Mendelssohn's  extraordinary 
memory.  At  a  small  Court  concert  in  Dresden,  at  the  close  of  1846, 
the  King  of  Saxony  requested  her  to  name  a  theme  ou  which  Men- 
delssohn might  extemporize.  She  named  Gluck's  "Iphigenie," 
which  had  been  given  on  the  previous  evening  at  the  Opera.  The 
King  mentioned  to  Mendelssohn  the  theme  selected,  on  which  he 
said:  "Your  Majesty,  till  last  night  I  have  not  heard  that  Opera 
for  seven  years,  but  I  comply  with  your  Majesty's  commands.'1" 
He  extemporized  in  the  most  surprising  manner,  not  omitting  one 
of  the  most  important  airs  in  that  grand  Opera— a  wonderful  tour 
de  force. 


108          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

lrttle  garden,  they  were  supplied  by  the  kind 
hostess  with  refreshing  beverages.  There  they 
lay  on  the  grass,  their  arms  crossed  under  their 
heads,  looking  up  at  the  sky,  quite  silent  and 
quite  happy.  A  short  time  after  thus  "  bleach- 
ing," the  elegant  director  was  again  to  be 
seen,  in  a  black  coat  and  white  neck-cloth,  in 
his  place  at  the  director's  desk,  with  his  usual 
grave  demeanor,  being  now  once  more  the 
Kapellmeister,  Felix  Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. 

An  amusing  introduction  of  Lindblad  to 
Hildebrandt  took  place  in  the  confusion  of  one 
of  these  festivals.  Mendelssohn  was  seen 
making  his  way  through  the  crowd  toward 
his  friend,  followed  by  a  fine-looking  man, 
whose  blue  eyes  looked  round  inquisitively. 
Felix  seized  Hildebrandt's  hand,  saying,  "  See, 
here  is  Lindblad,  who  wrote  those  charmino- 

'  O 

sono;s !     Liudblad,  see  !     This  is  the  man  who 

o  * 

painted  '  The  Sons  of  Edward  ; '  "  and  the  next 
moment  he  disappeared  in  the  crowd. 

Long,  long  afterward — many  a  grief  had 
since  then  burdened  his  soul,  and  from  many  a 
dear  friend  had  he  been  for  ever  severed — Men- 


FKAXKFOKT-OX-TH  K-MAINE.  109 

delssohn  revisited  his  beloved  friends  in  Diis- 
seldorf,  bringing  with  him  liis  wife  and  child. 

Fran  Mai  wine  S met  him  on  the  threshold 

of  her  hospitable  house,  but  was  forced  to  beg- 
him  not  to  enter  it,  as  two  of  her  children  were 
laid  up  with  measles ;  so  they  all  proceeded  to 

"VV .      After   supper,  Mendelssohn    seated 

himself,  as  formerly,  at  the  piano,  and  took  his 
little  son  Karl  on  his  knee.  At  first  he  played 
in  subdued  tones,  as  if  in  a  dream,  while  the 
child  sat  motionless,  his  eyes  fixed  on  his  father's 
hands.  He  then  gently  put  him  down,  though 
the  handsome  boy  continued  to  stand  beside 
him,  and  Mendelssohn  played  on  and  on,  every 
moment  more  beautifully,  more  touchingly, 
until  all  those  around  were  in  tears ;  and 
when  he  ceased,  sighs  and  low  sobs  alone  be- 
trayed the  overwhelming  impression  he  had 
made.  Then  Cecile  rose,  and  going  up  to  him 
softly,  she  seized  the  hand  that  was  hanging 
down,  kissed  it,  and  gently  retreated.  He 
raised  life  eyes  to  hers — it  was  a  wonderful  look  ; 
well  might  she  esteem  herself  happy  to  whom 
it  was  directed ! 


CHAPTER  V. 

PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES. 

MY  own  Leipzig  concert  recollections  date 
from  tber  first  appearance  of  the  charming 
Rhinelander  Sophie  Schloss — the  recollections 
of  a  girl  scarcely  emerged  from  childhood,  but 
a  musical  enthusiast !  Of  course,  whatever  our 
names  might  be,  we  were  all  devoted  to  Men- 
delssohn. How  distinctly  I  remember  a  day, 
when  I  had  just  come  home  from  school,  and 
was  with  my  dear  father  on  the  Promenade 
(that  celebrated  promenade,  always  so  fre- 
quented between  twelve  and  one  o'clock),  when 
he  said,  "  Look  !  here  come  Mendelssohn  and 
his  wife !  "  I  also  remember  that  I  would 
gladly  have  done  homage  to  him  as  a  king,  and 
that,  as  he  drew  near,  I  could  not  make  up  my 
mind  whether  to  look  at  him  or  at  her  as  they 
advanced,  and  finally  fixed  my  eyes  on  him, 
while  he  greeted  my  father  kindly.  Of  Cecile 
Mendelssohn  I  had  only  the  fleeting  impression 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  Ill 

of  wonderful  hair  and  blue  eves,  beaming  from 
under  a  dark  velvet  bonnet ;  but  a  finished 
picture  of  him  and  his  grandly-modeled  head 
was  at  once  impressed  upon  my  memory.  He 
wore  what  was  then  called  a  Spanish  cloak, 
that  entirely  concealed  his  figure.  I  have  never 
hitherto  seen  any  portrait  (the  one  by  llilde- 
brandt  I  have  unfortunately  never  met  with) 
that  represents  that  artistic  head  as  it  lives  in 
my  memory ;  there  is  something  effeminate  and 
sentimental  in  all  the  Mendelssohn  portraits, 
which  were  certainly  not  the  attributes  of  the 
living  head.  A  marvelously  executed  little 
ivory  relief,  a  profile  in  the  possession  of  a 
musical  friend  of  the  deceased  master,  Knaur's 
statuette,  and  the  large  bust,  alone  are  exempt 
from  this  character,  and  therefore  bear  more 
affinity  to  the  image  in  my  memory.  His  hair 
was  black  and  curling,  the  forehead  of  the  high- 
est order  of  intellectual  beauty,  the  nose  some- 
what bent,  the  lips  well  chiseled,  the  shape  of 
the  face  oval,  the  eyes  irresistible,  brilliant,  and 
spiritual.  His  slender  figure,  scarcely  attain- 
ing to  middle  size,  seemed  to  increase  in  hight 


112         KEMIXISOENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

and  to  become  imposing  when  lie  stood  at  his 
director's  desk.  His  bands  were  of  remarkable 
beauty ;  Cams,  that  connoisseur  of  human 
beings  and  hands,  would  have  defined  them  as 
"  fall  of  soul."  A  very  graceful  movement  of 
the  head  was  peculiar  to  him ;  and' when  lie 
carelessly  threw  it  back,  while  his  rapid  glance, 
like  that  of  a  general,  passed  in  array  his  musi- 
cal forces,  there  was  not  one  among  them  who 
did  not  at  that  moment  silently  vow  to  do  his 
duty  to  the  uttermost.  He  appeared  elegant 
and  calm  while  directing ;  no  peculiarities  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  audience ;  not  a 
vestige  of  embarrassment,  and  yet  entire  se- 
curity. 

No  words  can  tell  the  devotion  with  which 
the  different  members  of  the  orchestra  cluno;  to 

O 

him.  But  then  how  careful  he  was  of  them, 
how  warmly  he  had  their  interests  at  heart, 
what  an  open  ear  and  open  hand  he  had  for  all 
their  complaints !  He  was  not  satisfied  with 
the  temporary  addition  to  their  salary  of  the 
500  dollars  that  he  had  wrung  out  of  the  ma- 
gistrates for  their  benefit ;  he  never  rested  till 


PERSONAL    U  KM  I. \ISCK.\CE8.  113 

he  succeeded  in  effecting  a  real  improvement  in 
the  position  of  the  members  of  the  orchestra. 

"  Just  because  the  orchestra  is  not  an  article 
of  luxury,  but  the  most  necessary  and  important 
basis  for  a  theater — just-  because  the  public 
invariably  regard  with  more  interest  articles 
of  luxury  than  more  essential  things — on  this 
very  account,  it  is  a  positive  duty  to  endeavor 
to  effect,  that  what  is  legitimate  and  necessary 
should  not  be  disparaged  and  superseded  by  a 
love  of  glitter." 

"Such  noble,  unselfish  energy,  shunning 
neither  trouble  nor  efforts,  could  not  fail  in 
obtaining  shortly  a  proportionately  noble  re- 
sult. Mendelssohn  succeeded  in  getting  the 
considerable  legacy  of  an  art-loving  burgher 
applied  to  founding  a  school  for  music,  and 
afterward  devoted  his  full  powers  to  this 
young  institution,  which,  iu  spite  of  the  gloomy 
prophecies  of  many  a  misanthrope,  soon  sprung 
up  fresh  and  vigorous.  In  fact,  the  whole 
of  the  musical  life  in  Leipzig  was  in  his 
hands.  Thus,  by  degrees,  all  was  ordered 
and  arranged  according  to  Mendelssohn's  wish 


114         REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

and  will,  and  for  the  general  weal  and  wel- 
fare. 

Iii  those  days  there  were  three  representa- 
tives of  an  earlier  period  who  must  have  par- 
ticularly attracted  the  attention  of  the  youth- 
ful Kapellmeister — the  two  founders  of  the 
once  celebrated  "  Cecilia,"  a  musical  paper, 
Hofrath  Kochlitz  and  Gottlob  Wilhelm  Fink, 
and  the  ex-director  of  the  Gewandhaus  con- 
certs, August  Pohlenz.  How  vividly  I  can 
see  him  before  me  at  this .  moment — my  first 
singing-master,  the  good  and  highly  esteemed 
music-director  Pohlenz,  the  composer  of  so 
many  charming  quartettes,  so  many  pleasing 
songs,  the  instructor  of  so  many  celebrated 
singers,  and  who  had  also  trained  the  silvery 
voice  of  his  own  wife.  He  was  a  cheerful, 
original  man,  whom  we  all  deeply  lamented 
when  he  was  suddenly  taken  from  us  and  borne 
to  his  last  resting-place.  Who  could  ever 
forget  that  droll  solid  figure  with  all  its  viva- 
city, the  quaint  face  and  small  eyes  hidden  by 
huge  spectacles,  the  inimitable  tone  of  his 
voice  when  he  sang  us  over  any  passage,  the 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  115 

nimbi  eness  of  his  thick  fingers  when  accoin 
panying  the  warm,  faithful  heart  and  the  mu- 
sical soul  that  dwelt  within  that  homely  exte- 
rior ?  A  great  deal  has  been  said  about  the 
mortifications  Pohlenz  underwent  by  the 
appointment  of  Mendelssohn ;  indeed,  even 
his  sudden  death  on  March  10th,  1842,  was 
ascribed  to  the  neglect  and  irritation  he  had 
been  subjected  to.  These  assertions,  however, 
like  manv  others  with  regard  to  the  musical 

*/  O 

life  of  that  period,  belong  entirely  to  the  realm 
of  the  imagination.  Although  benevolence 
formed  the  basis  of  Mendelssohn's  nature,  and 
few  understood  as  he  did  how  to  honor  and 
draw  forth  those  who  were  still  in  darkness, 
he  had  a  high  opinion  of  Pohlenz  as  a  teacher 
of  singing,  while  he  valued  him  no  less  as  a 
musician,  and  lost  no  opportunity  of  expres- 
sing this  to  all  who  were  disposed  to  listen. 

Mendelssohn  was,  indeed,  a  genuine  child  of 
his  time,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  ;  he 
brought  about  the  transition  from  classical  to 
modern  music ;  in  his  oratorios  he  "  sang  a 
new  song  unto  the  Lord."  He  felt  that,  as  all 


116          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

faith  must  be  based  on  Holy  Writ,  so  this  new 
music  must  be  founded  on  tradition,  and  fre- 
quently gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  all  our 
knowledge  and  working  must  have  their  roots 
in  the  past.  He  wrote  to  Hildebrandt  from 
Leipzig,  with  regard  to  an  old  musician,  as 
follows:  "  The  man's  appearance  touched  me 
because  it  belonged  to  the  past,  just  as  a  queue 
or  a  peruke  never  seemed  ridiculous  in  my 
eyes,  but  rather  something  sad  and  solemn." 
With  such  sentiments  as  these,  he  certainly 
never  could  have  looked  askance  at  an  honest, 
old-fashioned  colleague.  There  were  similar 
reports  about  Mendelssohn's  relations  to  Schu- 
mann, which,  however,  afterwards  received  the 
most  triumphant  refutation  from  the  admira- 
tion and  delight  with  which  he  played  Schu- 
mann's works,  recommending  them  for  per- 
formance, and  also  himself  accompanying 
Schumann's  songs.  Any  one  who  could  con- 
ceive this  soaring  artistic  soul  capable  of  so 
base  a  feeling  as  that  of  envy,  must  have  been 
utterly  and  wholly  deficient  in  the  power  of 
comprehending  a  noble  and  high-souled  nature. 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  117 

AVilhelin  Fink,  the  clever  musical  critic  and 
editor  of  the  "  Musikalischen  Ilaus-Schatz," 
once  a  celebrated  preacher,  and  an  amiable 
man,  was  the  center  of  a  small  circle  who 
formed  a  sort  of  passive  opposition  to  the  new 
director.  This  opposition,  however,  proceeded 
not  so  much  from  Fink  himself  as  from  his 
second  wife,  a  highly  cultivated  pupil  of  John 
Field,  who,  by  the  advent  of  Mendelssohn, 
found  the  pleasing  talent  of  her  second  daugh- 
ter, Charlotte,  thrown  into  the  shade.  Her 
disinclination  to  come  in  any  way  into  con- 
tact with  Mendelssohn  was  hightened  when 
the  hand  of  death  was  laid  on  the  head  of  the 
young  girl,  on  whom  so  many  hopes  rested,  and 
this  feeling  was  only  extinguished  with  the  life 
of  the  sorely-bereaved  mother.  Wilhelm  Fink 
was  the  first  to  follow  his  child  to  the  grave, 
tenderly  nursed  and  deeply  mourned  by  his  at- 
tached and  loving  daughters ;  his  wife,  although 

O  v3  /  /  O 

a  severe  sufferer,  survived  him  some  years. 
How  often  we  brought  flowers  into  her  quiet 
sick  chamber,  when  she  made  us  tell  her  of 
the  outside  world,  and,  in  return,  talked  to  us 


118         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

of  the  far  richer  world  within,  as  she  used  to 
call  it.  She  would  then  share  with  us  those 
relics  of  the  past  stored  up  in  her  memory, 
when  her  stern  face  became  animated  and 
glowing, 'and  her  eyes  lost  their  gloom  as  she 
spoke  of  her  life  in  Russia,  of  her  renowned 
instructor,  and  of  Ludwig  Berger  and  his  fair- 
haired  German  wife,  who  died  of  home-sick- 
ness in  brilliant  Petersburg,  and  also  about 
the  handsome  Emperor  Alexander. 

Hofrath  Rochlitz  was  one  of  those  pleasing 
old  men  who  recall  a  clear,  bright  autumn  day. 
He  had  passed  a  stirring  and  prolific  life ;  his 
sun  was  gradually  sinking,  but  he  looked  for- 
ward to  its  setting  with  the  cheerful  serenity  of 
a  sage.  His  speaking  eyes,  his  talent  for 
conversation,  his  Jean  Paul  humor,  and  his 
youthful  enthusiasm  for  all  that  was  beautiful 
in  art  and  nature,  in  what  shape  soever  he 
met  with  it,  made  him  exceedingly  attractive. 
The  most  charming  relations  subsisted  between 

Cj 

him  and  Mendelssohn,  and  there  was  some- 
thing irresistible  in  the  manner  in  which  the 
young  revered  artist  persisted  in  making  him- 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  119 

self  subordinate  to  age  and  merit,  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  no  one  could  respond  to  this 
homage  more  amiably  than  Rochlitz. 

Many  youthful  "  people  of  mark  "  of  that 
day  emerge  from  the  mists  of  memory.  The 
lovely  Luise  Schlegl  Koster,  with  her  fair 
curls,  a  pupil  of  our  Pohlenz,  whom  he  always 
held  up  to  us  as  a  pattern,  and  \vhose  splendid 
voice  I  still  seem  to  hear  singing  Mozart's 
"  Davidde  Penitente"  in  the  Pauliuer  Kirche. 
When  the  high  C  rang  through  every  corner 
of  the  dusky  church,  my  dear  father,  whose 
heart  heat  so  warmly  for  music,  at  the  close  of 
the  performance  went  up  to  the  singer  in  his 
delight,  and  said  some  fervent  words  of  praise, 
while  I  stood  in  silence  by  his  side,  looking  at 
the  singer  and  gazing  with  the  utmost  admi- 
ration at  her  delicate  features  and  golden  hair, 
quite  ready  now  to  admit  that  Pohlenz  was 
justified  in  saying,  "  Luise  will  go  ten  times 
further  than  you  will  ever  do ;  not  at  all  on 
account  of  her  glorious  voice,  but  because  she 
works  like  a  trumpeter,  and  you  do  not." 

1  also  remember  the  appearance  of  Elisa 


120          RKMIXISUEXi'ES    OF    MEXDEL8SOIIX. 

Merti,  an  elegant  young  Belgian,  so  graceful 
in  her  movements,  who  sang  such  lovely  French 
Romances  and  florid  Ariettes  in  the  Gewand- 
haus.  A  lively  set  of  young  people  formed  at 
that  time  a  critical  concert  audience,  the  mem- 
bers of  one  of  the  gayest  little  musical  circles 
in  the  world,  who  all  gave  each  other  rendez- 
vous at  the  Gewandhaus  concerts,  on  those 
far-famed  Thursday  evenings.  Many  many 
looked  down  on  us  at  that  time,  shaking  their 
heads  in  disapproval  of  such  "  fledglings"  pre- 
suming to  usurp  the  places  of  those  who  were 
highly  cultivated ;  and  yet  it  was  not  from  the 
midst  of  the  "  fledglings"  that,  during  a  sudden 
pause  in  a  Beethoven  Symphony,  the  words 
"  bacon  paste,"  the  subject  of  conversation  be- 
tween two  ladies,  sounded  distinctly  through 
that  hall,  the  motto  of  which  is  "  Res  severa 
est  verum  gaudium."  Oh,  bright  and  mem- 
orable musical  garland  !  how  has  it  since  been 
scattered  by  every  wind.  And  yet  we  then 
thought  that  it  would  for  ever  remain  the  same ! 
I  believe  that  Mendelssohn,  who  knew  noth- 
ing whatever  of  our  doings,  would,  like  every 


PERSONAL    UKMIXISCKXCES.  121 

warm-hearted  musician,  have  been  pleased  to 
see  how  much  we  were  in  earnest  in  our  studies. 
"\Vlmt  we  accomplished  was  as  incomplete  as 
most  juvenile  productions,  but  enthusiasm  for 
music  was  deep  and  fervent  within  each  of  us. 
Then  there  was  such  happiness  in  being  able 
t.»  sing  and  play  together;  we  took  thich  harm- 
less pleasure  in  the  weak  tea,  herring  salad, 
and  mulled  wine,  and  in  all  our  little  inno- 
cent interests  and  passions — and  likewise  in 
Schubert  and  Beethoven,  Mozart  and  Haydn, 
Father  Bach  and  Mendelssohn.  How  they  rise 
before  me,  all  those  charming  girlish  heads, 
fair  and  dark,  and  those  bright  eyes,  many  of 
which  since  then  have  been  "  too  used  to  weep," 
and  those  youthful  cavaliers,  who  have  long 
ago  won  names  in  different  ways,  and  have 
long  enjoyed  titles  and  orders!  How  thor- 
oughly were  we  in  earnest  in  what  we  attempt- 
ed, and  carefully  studied  after  our  own  fashion  ; 
how  we  mutually  sat  in  judgment  on  each 
other,  and  dreaded  each  other;  and  how  we  all 
unanimously  agreed  in  our  enthusiasm  for  the 
one  person  who  was  the  chief  interest  in  Leip- 


122          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

zig — Felix  Mendelssohn  !  How  many  times 
in  the  course  of  those  evenings  we  drank  his 
health,  how  many  fair  lips  gave -toasts  in  his 
honor,  while  bright  eyes  sparkled  at  the  words  ! 
We  had  also  our  particular  favorites  in  the 
Gewandhaus  concerts,  and  many  a  celebrity 
failed  in  winning  our  approbation ;  whereas 
we  were  sometimes  loud  in  praise  of  those 
who  did  not  till  much  later  in  life  justify  our 
enthusiasm.  Wiih  what  interest  did  we  ob- 
serve and  discuss  every  gesture  of  the  most 
distinguished  members  of  the  orchestra ;  above 
all,  how  closely  we  watched  any  exchange  of 
smiles  or  glances  between  David  and  Mendels- 
sohn, and  the  friendly  nod  or  frown  of  Klin- 
gel  !  It  was  then,  and  still  is  a  singular  ar- 
rangement of  the  Gewandhaus  Hall,  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  audience  do  not  sit  oppo- 
site the  orchestra,  but  face  each  other;  thus 
we  had  to  twist  our  necks  awry  the  whole 
time,  till  we  were  exhausted,  in  prder  to  see 
Mendelssohn  directing.  Sometimes,  during  the 
long  -interval,  he  was  to  be  seen  in  one  of  the 
two  boxes  above  the  orchestra,  chatting  for  a 


PKKSOX.U.    KKMIXISCKXCES. 

time.  I  think  a  Gewandhaus  concert  seen  ia 
perspective  from  the  boxes  on  a  level  with  the 
chandelier,  must  have  given  the  impression  of 
a  bed  of  flowers,  in  the  rich  adornment  of  those 
pretty  heads,  dark  and  fair  and  gayly  decked, 
and  all  those  elegant  toilettes  where  brilliant 
colors  preponderated ;  and  though  there  wras 
much  to  hear,  assuredly  there  was  not  less  to 
see.  Alas  !  how  many  a  fragrant  rose,  then 
in  its  bloom,  has  long  been  faded  and  dead ! 
I  seem  to  see  vividly  before  me  the  much- 
admired  and  beloved  Isidore  P ,  after- 
wards Frau  von  G ,  with  her  wonderful 

gazelle  eyes,  her  dazzling  complexion  and  dark 
hair,  always  dressed  in  vapory  white,  as  if  in  a 
transparent  vail.  I  see  the  lovely  sisters  Celeste 

and  Lisbeth  1C ,  in  all  their  grace  and 

charm,  the  delicate  P- ,  t\\e piquante  Marie 

B ,  and  many  others  equally  attractive: 

they  all  now  lie  sleeping  in  the  cold  ground. 

The  venerable  Gewandhaus  Hall  has  seen 
much  beauty  bloom  and  wither  ! 

Particular  cities  pride  themselves  on  the 
past,  just  as  men  pride  themselves  on  their 


REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

fathers  and  forefathers;  Leipzig  did  so,  espe- 
cially on  its  musical  fame.  No  nobly-born 
youth  can  view  his  pedigree  with  greater  de- 
lio-ht,  or  enumerate  his  succession  of  ancestors 

O         " 

with  more  precision,  than  does  the  Linden- 
stadt  the  series  of  great  and  learned  Cantors 
who  preceded  Father  Sebastian  at  the  Thomas 
School,  and  followed  him  as  stars  do  the  sun. 
Every  exact  detail  was  known  with  regard  to 
those  "  venerable  gentlemen  ;  "  and  the  names 
of  Kiihnau,  Schicht,  and  Hiller  were  not  less 
reverenced  than  that  of  Bach  himself.  A  fair 
quartette — the  sisters  Podleska,  from  Bohemia 
— grateful  pupils  of  Hiller's,  erected  a  monu- 
ment to  him  on  the  Promenade  at  Leipzig,  a 
spot  which  no  doubt  Corona  Schroter  often 
traversed,  and  the  student  Gothe  frequently 
passed  with  Kathchen  Schonkopf  and  Friecle- 
rike  Oeser.  It  was  Mendelssohn  who  first 
originated  the  idea  of  erecting  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  venerable  Fajher  of  Ger- 
man church  music,  to  be  placed  opposite  the 
scene  of  his  labors,  within  the  precincts  of  the 
Thomas  School.  He  forthwith  applied  him- 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  125 

self  with  the  greatest  energy  to  the  execution 
of  this  scheme,  and  arranged  a  series  of  organ 
concerts,  the  profits  of  which  were  to  be  de- 
voted to  the  erection  of  a  Bach  monument. 
A  reverent  assemblage  crowded  every  place 
and  corner  of  the  ancient,  time-honored  church 
of  St.  Thomas  on  the  6th  of  August,  1840,  for 
the  purpose  of  hearing  Mendelssohn  for  the 
first  time  play  the  organ.  The  programme 
was  exclusively  made  up  of  his  own  perform- 
ances, thus  devoting  his  powers  to  the  fulfill- 
ment of  his  cherished  wish.  Bach's  splendid 
Fugue  in  E-flat  major  came  first;  then  his 
Fantasia  on  the  Chorale  "  Schmiicke  dich,  O 
liebe  Seele;"  a  Prelude  and  Fugue  in  A 
minor,  with  twenty-one  variations ;  the  Pasto- 
rella  and  the  Trinata,  in  A  minor ;  and  finally, 
Mendelssohn  wound  up  the  concert  by  extem- 
porizing on  the  most  deeply  touching  choral 
melody  in  the  world — 

O  Hanpt  voll  Blut  und  Wunden  ! 

No  musician  of  the  modern  time  was  seated 
above  in  the  organ-loft.  No  !  It  was  the  old 
and  marvelous  Sebastian  Bach  himself  playing 


126         REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

there !  Sacred  awe  pervaded  the  souls  of  the 
hearers,  and  tears  rushed  to  eyes  that  had  long 
since  ceased  to  weep.  The  worthy  old  E-och- 
litz,  who  had  heard  Cantor  Schicht  play  on 
this  very  organ,  embraced  the  young  master  at 
the  close  of  the  concert,  saying,  "  I  can  now 
depart  in  peace,  for  never  shall  I  hear  anything 
finer  or  more  sublime."  In  my  opinion,  neither 
Mendelssohn's  pianoforte  nor  organ-playing 
have  been  sufficiently  highly  estimated  by  his 
contemporaries,  or  possibly  the  composer  in 
some  degree  drove  the  practical  musician  into 
the  back-ground.  Independent  of  the  magic 
of  his  touch,  which  could  only  Toe  felt,  and  not 
defined,  like  the  charms  of  a  night  in  spring, 
when 

Marvels  that  we  deemed  of  Eld, 
Fresh  in  the  moonshine  night  beheld, 

and  his  finished  technical  powers,  it  was  his 
absolute  and  unqualified  devotion  to  the  mas- 
ter whose  work  he  was  executing,  that  imparted 
to  his  playing  a  character  of  perfection  that 
probably  never  was  heard  before,  and  never 
will  be  heard  again.  In  rendering  the  crea- 
tions of  others,  he  introduced  nothing  of  him- 


PERSONAL    REMIXISCEXCFS.  127 

self;  he  was  entirely  absorbed  in  the  soul  and 
spirit  of  the  composer.  At  such  moments  he 
was  in  fact  only  the  receptacle  of  precious  for- 
eign wine,  but  of  the  purest  and  most  trans- 
parent crystal ;  you  saw  the  costly  liquid 
sparkle,  and 

Swarms  of  spirits  in  upper  air ! 

Sprites  descend— a  seething  mass  I 
Drinking  wine,  and  drowning  care, 

And  chinking  goblets  as  they  pass. 

When  I  recall  the  impression  Mendelssohn's 
playing  made  on  my  own  young  heart,  I  can 
only  say  that  other  virtuosos  have  often  en- 
chanted and  enraptured  me,  such  as  Liszt, 
Klara  Schumann,  Ferdinand  Hiller,  etc ;  but 
not  one  of  these  ever  inspired  me  with  the 
feeling  which  came  over  me  when  listening  to 
Mendelssohn.  I  always  then  felt  as  if  I  must 
seek  out  the  most  profound  solitude,  that  I 
might  continue  to  hear  the  echoes  of  those 
tones  that  had  scarcely  died  away  in  my  ear. 
The  sweetest  human  voice  seemed  to  me  rough 
and  harsh.  I  should  have  liked  to  be  deaf  for 
the  time,  so  that  I  might  hear  nothing  directly 
afterward ;  and  my  brother  Edward  had  pre- 


128         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

cisely  the  same  feeling.  At  a  concert  where 
Mendelssohn  played,  my  brother,  between  jest 
and  earnest,  held  his  hands  on  his  ears  and 
said,  in  a  few  minutes,  "  I  have  heard  more 
than  you,  for  he  has  played  it  all  over  again 
for  me !  "  Who  can  tell  how  often  these  never- 
to-be-forgotten  sounds  may  have  recurred  to 
the  soul  of  the  solitary  pilgrim  in  the  desert, 
many  long  years  afterward,  to  console  and  to 
refresh  him  in  the  awful  silence  of  that  wilder- 
ness in  which  he  was  destined  to  find  an  early 
grave ! 

Even  now,  in  some  compositions  that  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  hear  played  by  Mendels- 
sohn, my  spirit  seems,  when  others  are  play- 
ing them  to  me,  to  hear  distinctly  him  and  him 
alone,  for  no  other  hand  can  efface  the  impres- 
sion I  received  from  his  execution  of  parti- 
cular melodies,  and  more  especially  some  of  his 
"songs  without  words;  so  at  length  my  physi- 
cal ear  seems  to  hear  those  very  tones  once 
more.  The  senses  too  have  their  memories. 
The  year  of  the  Bach  monument  (18-iO) 
also  brought  to  light  some  of  Mendelssohn'? 


PERSONAL    REMINISCENCES.  129 

grander  compositions — the  "  Guttenberg  Lied," 
his  "  Hymn  of  Praise,"  and  its  first  performance 
in  Leipzig.  The  words  of  the  latter,  consisting 
of  texts  from  the  Bible,  put  together  with  ex- 
quisite taste,  celebrate  the  triumph  of  heavenly 
light  over  darkness.  The  musical  composition 
is  divided  into  two  closely-connected  portions, 
the  great  instrumental  and  the  vocal.  Who 
could  ever  forget  the  splendid  duett  for  female 
voices,  "  I  waited  for  the  Lord !  "  with  its 
touching  close,  "  It  is  well  for  those  who  place 
their  trust  in  the  Lord !  "  A  breath  of  gentle 
piety  pervades  the  whole  work,  like  incense  in 
the  House  of  God ;  and  to  that  anxious  ques- 
tion, which  must  find  an  echo  in  every  human 
heart — 

Watchman  1  will  the  night  eoon  pass  ? 

who  has  not  sent  up  a  kindred  aspiration  to 
heaven  in  the  dark  night  of  anguish  and 
grief — 

Watchman  !  will  the  night  eoon  pass  ? 

Like .  flashing  sunbeams  is  the  answer  given 
by  a  fine  female  voice — 

The  night  is  departing,  departing 


130          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

The  double  chorus  that  repeats  the  heavenly 
message — 

The  night  is  departing,  the  day  is  approaching  ! 

is  quite  unequaled  in  its  grandeur  and  devout 
rejoicing. 

Shortly  after  its  performance  in  Leipzig, 
Mendelssohn  directed  his  new  work  in  Bir- 
mingham. On  his  return,  Leipzig  heard  for  the 
first  time  the  42ud  Psalm  sung  by  Frau  Li  via 
Frege,  who  sang  Mendelssohn's  music  with  so 
much  soul.  During  many  months,  Mendels- 
sohn instructed  a  choir  of  zealous  singers  with 
infinite  trouble,  devotion,  and  patience,  in  that 
gigantic  work,  Bach's  Passionsmusik,  the  per- 
formance of  which  took  place  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Bach  monument,  on  the  evening  of 
Palm  Sunday,  1841,  in  the  Thomas  Church. 
Then  floated  downward  those  deeply  affect- 
ing choruses,  those  sacred  chorals  that  had  re- 
sounded in  the  same  spot  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago ;  and  there  stood  the  slender  figure 
of  the  young  director,  whose  hand  and  eye 
controlled  those  masses  of  sound,  where,  on 
Good  Friday,  anno  1728,  the  imposing  form 


PEKSOXAL    KEMINISCE-\ri:<.  131 

of  Sebastian  Bach  had  stood ;  and  the  same 
devout  emotions  which  then  filled  the  souls 
of  those  hearers,  whose  bodies  have  long  since 
moldered  away  into  dust,  now  also  pervaded 
this  assembly,  whose  hands  were  folded  in 
amazement  and  admiration  at  this  giant-like 
composition  of  piety  and  faith.  A.  "  believing 
heart  "  alone,  taken  in  the  highest  signification 
of  the  word,  could  thus  direct  and  bring  such 
a  work  before  an  audience.  If  the  former 
Cantor  of  the  Thomas  School,  from  amid  the 
heavenly  hosts,  was  permitted  on  that  Palm 
Sunday  to  listen  to  this  earthly  performance, 
his  fiery  eyes  would  have  beamed,  his  heart 
would  have  exulted,  over  this  his  disciple  and 
friend,  who,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  a 
century,  was  more  closely  akin  to  him  than 
even  those  who  had  sat  beside  him  in  the  Can- 
tor's dark  little  study,  and  gathered  the  living 
word  from  his  lips. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BERLIN". 

Winged  warblers  from  each  tree, 
Discoursing  their  glad  melody. 

A  BIRD  in  a  cage  wrote  from  Berlin,  on 
August  9th,  1841  :— 

"You  wish  to  hear  some  news  about  the 
Berlin  Conservatorium — so  do  I — but  there  is 
none.  The  affair  is  on  the  most  extensive 
scale,  if  it  be  actually  on  any  scale  at  all,  and 
not  merely  in  the  air.  The  King  seems  to 
have  a  plan  for  reorganizing  the  Academy  of 
Arts ,  but  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  effect  this 
without  entirely  changing  its  present  form  into 
a  new  one,  which  they  cannot  make  up  their 
mind  to  do;  and  I  am  the  less  likely  to  ad- 
vise this,  because  I  do  not  expect  much  profit 
for  music  either  from  a  formed  or  unformed 
Academy." 

By  desire  of  Friedrich  Wilhelm  IV.,  Men- 
delssohn left  Leipzig  in  July,  1841,  to  settle  in 
Berlin,  and  the  above  words  form  the  begin- 


BERLIN.  133 

ning  of  a  letter  to  his  dear  friend  David.  The 
art-loving-  Kino;  summoned  the  greatest  of 

O  <~J  C3 

living  musicians  to  his  "  Court  of  the  Muses" 
as  the  representative  of  the  noble  science  of 
music.  In  the  collection  of  Mendelssohn's  let- 
ters, we  find  some  interesting  documents  on 
the  subject  of  the  appointment  of  a  music 
director  with  a  salary  of  3,000  dollars,  in  an 
Art  Academy  to  be  instituted  in  Berlin,  and 
to  consist  of  four  classes :  architecture,  sculp- 
ture, painting,  and  music.  A  grand  music 
Conservatorium  was  to  be  erected,  and  a  series 
of  sacred  and  secular  concerts  given. 

"  That  I  am  now  to  recommence  a  private 
life,  but  at  the  same  time  to  become  a  sort  of 
schoolmaster  to  a  Conservatorium,  is  what  I 
can  scarcely  realize,  after  my  excellent,  vigor- 
ous orchestra  here.  I  might  perhaps  do  so  if 
I  were  really  to  enjoy  an  entirely  private  life, 
in  which  case  I  should  only  compose  and  live 
in  retirement ;  but  the  mongrel  Berlin  doings 
interfere  ;  the  vast  projects,  the  petty  perform- 
ances, the  perfect  criticism,  the  indifferent 
musicians,  the  liberal  ideas,  the  Court  servants 


KESriXISCEXCES    OF    MEXDELSSOHX 

in  the  streets,  the  Museum  and  the  Academy, 
and  the  sand  !  I  doubt  whether  my  stay  there 
will  be  more  than  a  year ;  still  I  shall  of  course 
do  all  in  my  power  not  to  allow  this  time  to 
pass  without  some  profit  to  myself  and 
others !  " 

To  the  great  joy  of  his  mother  and  brother 
and  sisters,  Mendelssohn  once  more  took  pos- 
session with  them  of  the  same  beloved  house 
which  (as  he  writes)  "  I  quitted  with  a  heavy 
heart  twelve  years  ago."  He  never,  however, 
felt  at  home  in  his  native  city,  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  on  all  sides  to  make  his  stay  in  Berlin 
agreeable,  and  in  every  way  to  do  honor  and 
homage  to  the  celebrated  master.  Certain 
individuals  were  indeed  dear  to  his  heart  in  the 
Berlin  circles  of  that  day,  and  above  all,  old 
Tieck,  with  his  piercing  eyes;  Pauline  von 
Sch^tzel-Decker,  with  her  lovely  voice,  who 
sang  Mendelssohn's  songs  with  such  good-will 
and  wondrous  beauty ;  Meyerbeer,  Humboldt, 
Bunsen,  Geibel,  who  was  there  for  some  weeks, 
Professor  Wichmann,  Bettina  and  her  pretty 
daughters,  etc.  He  was  also  much  gratified  by 


BERLIN-.  135 

the  high  favor  of  the  King,  who  invariably  ex- 
pressed himself  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  and 
always  remained  consistent.  On  the  whole, 
however,  he  found  the  atmosphere  of  the  "  Me- 
tropolis of  intelligence"  oppressive.  In  his 
letters  he  complains  that,  notwithstanding  his 
delight  in  living  with  his  own  family,  and  all 
his  privileges  and  happy  memories,  there  was 
no  place  where  he  felt  so  little  at  home  as 
in  Berlin.  He  writes  to  President  Yerkenius  : 
"  The  ground  of  this  may  be,  that  all  the 
causes  which  formerly  made  it  impossible  for 
me  to  begin  and  to  continue  my  career  in  Ber- 
lin, and  which  drove  me  away,  still  subsist, 
just  as  they  formerly  did,  and  are  likely,  alas  ! 
to  subsist  to  the  end  of  time.  There  is  the 
same  frittering  away  of  all  energies  and  all 
people,  the  same  unpoetical  striving  after  out- 
wanl  results,  the  same  superfluity  of  percep- 
tions, the  same  failure  in  production,  and  the 
same  want  of  nature,  the  same  illiberality  and 
backwardness  as  to  progress  and  development, 
by  which,  indeed,  though  the  latter  are  ren- 
dered safer  and  less  dangerous,  still  they  are 


136          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

robbed  of  all  merit  and  of  all  life.  I  believe 
that  these  qualities  will  one  day  be  found  again 
here  in  all  things;  that  it  is  the  case  with 
music,  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatever.  The 
King  has  the  best  inclination  to  alter  and  to 
improve  all  this  ;  but  even  were  he  to  hold  fast 
his  will  steadily  for  a  succession  of  years,  and 
to  find  none  but  people  with  the  same  will, 
working  unweariedly  in  accordance  with  it — 
even  then,  results  atid  happy  consequences 
could  not  be  anticipated,  till  after  a  succession 
of  years  had  elapsed ;  yet  here  these  are  ex- 
pected first  and  foremost.  The  soil  must  be 
entirely  plowed  and  turned  up  before  it  can 
bring  forth  fruit — so  it  seems  to  me  at  least  in 
my  department.  The  musicians  work,  each  for 
himself,  and  no  two  agree ;  the  amateurs  are 
divided  and  absorbed  into  thousands  of  small 
circles ;  besides,  all  the  music  one  hears  is,  at , 
the  best,  only  indifferent ;  criticism  alone  is 
keen,  close,  and  well  studied.  These  are  no 
very  flattering  prospects,  I  think,  for  the  ap- 
proaching period,  and  to  '  organize  this  from 
the  foundation  '  is  not  my*  affair,  for  I  am  defi- 


BEKLI.V.  137 

cientboth  in  talent  and  inclination  for  the  pur- 
pose. I  am,  therefore,  waiting  to  know  what 
is  desired  of  me,  and  probably  this  will  be 
limited  to  a  certain  number  of  concerts,  which 
the  Academy  of  Arts  is  to  give  in  the  coming 
winter,  and  which  I  am  then  to  direct." 

And  this  proved  to  be  the  case.  The  intel- 
lectual ruler  and  warm-hearted  patron  and 
protector  of  all  the  arts  could  not  find  on  this 
occasion  any  whose  will  was  in  unison  with  his 
own,  or  who  would  apply  their  energies  to 
carry  it  through ;  and  thus  all  his  admirable 
plans  gradually  died  away,  and  every  prospect 
for  real  practical  work  for  Mendelssohn  seemed 
from  week  to  week  to  vanish  more  and  more. 

To  escape  from  the  burden  of  this  conviction, 
he  first  made  some  excursions  to  Leipzig,  where 
he  both  heard  and  shared  in  much  good  music. 
After  Leipzig,  we  see  him  in  London,  living 
very  gayly,  and  almost  overwhelmed  with  hon- 
ors and  pleasures ;  "  reading  '  Wilhelm  Meis- 
ter,'  "  and  "strolling  through  the  fields  with 
Klingemann  to  restore  myself,  because  they 
really  make  such  a  fuss  with  me."  He  plays 


138          KEMDttSCEXCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

in  Exeter  Hall  before  3,000  people,  who  arc  in 
transports  of  delight,  drinks  tea  with  Queen 
Victoria  in  the  splendid  gallery  of  Buckingham 
Palace,  directs  his  "  Hebrides  "  at  the  Philhar- 
monic, hears  Fanny  Kemble  read  Shakspeare, 
converses  with  Lady  Morgan  and  Mrs.  Jameson, 
wanders  through-  the  galleries  with  "Wiuter- 
halter,  a  celebrated  painter  of  lace,  velvet,  and 
beautiful  women  ;  makes  music  with  his  beloved 
Moscheles,  with  Bennett,  with  Duprez  at  Chor- 
ley's,  and  Benedict,  and  at  length  resolves  for 
the  next  few  weeks  to  "  have  nothing  to  do 
with  music." 

He  then  set  off  for  Switzerland,  where,  en 
route,  he  was  joined  by  Cecile,  his  brother,  and 
his  sister-in-law.  He  rested  for  a  time  in  his 
much-loved  Interlaken,  proceeded  to  Zurich, 
and  returned  by  Frankfort  to  his  gilt  cage  in 
Berlin.  It  was  on  this  journey  that  he  wrote 
to  his  friend  Hildebrandt  a  playful  request 
that  "  his  amiable  wife  would  preserve  a  quan- 
tity of  those  capital  vinegar  plums,  for  the 
eating  of  which  will  gladly  be  answerable  a 
certain  Felix  Mendelssohn." 


BEBI.TX.  139 

Meanwhile,  affairs  in  Berlin  had  undergone 
no  change ;  and  as  Mendelssohn  shrank  from 
the  thoughts  of  living  on  in  this  way,  and 
accepting  what  appeared  to  be  a  sinecure,  he 
speedily  made  up  his  mind,  and  requested  his 
dismissal.  It  was  now  proposed  to  him  that 
he  should  become  the  head  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  Music,  and  at  the  same  time  informed 
that  the  design  was  to  train  a  select  vocal  choir, 
and  a  first-rate  orchestra,  for  the  artistic  sup- 
port of  the  church  services,  and  more  especi- 
ally for  the  performance  of  oratorios ;  and  this 
Institution  was  to  be  intrusted  to  his  sole  direc- 
tion. Mendelssohn  professed  his  readiness  to 
undertake  the  work,  but  reserved  the  right  of 
choosing  his  place  of  residence,  and  having  the 
uncontrolled  disposal  of  his  time,  till  the  reali- 
zation of  this  noble  idea  was  carried  into  effect, 
expressing  his  wish  to  the  minister  Eichhorn, 
to  be  permitted  to  prefer  these  requests  in 
person  to  His  Majesty.  The  King  granted  an 
audience  to  the  composer  of  "  St.  Paul,"  ex- 
pressing himself  in  the  most  gracious  manner, 
while  Mendelssohn  promised  his  august  bene- 


140         KEMIXISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

factor  to  complete  a  series  of  compositions 
hereafter  to  be  named,  in  accordance  with  the 
ideas  of  the  royal  personage  who  gave  the 
commission,  and  further  engaged  to  be  on  the 
spot  as  soon  as  "  the  gigantic  instrument  "  on 
which  he  was  appointed  to  play  should  be 
completed. 

The  more  important  works  that  Mendelssohn 
composed  at  the  instigation  of  Friedrich  Wil- 
helm  IV.  are  the  music  for  "  The  Midsummer 
Night's  Dream,"  exclusive  of  the  overture ;  the 
music  for  "  Athalia,"  "  Antigone,"  and  "  CEdi- 
pus  von  Kolonos ; "  and  likewise  a  series  of 
liturgical  hymns. 

With  regard  to  his  creative  labors,  Julius 
Rietz'  appendix  to  "  Mendelssohn's  Letters  in 
1840-42,"  names  the  following: 

1840. 

"  Hymn  of  Praise,"  Symphony  Cantata,  op.  52.    Leipzig. 

Performed  for  the  first  time  on  the  25th  of  June,  1840,  in 
the  Thomas  Church  at  Leipzig,  at  the  celebration  of  the 
Fourth  Centenary  of  Printing. 

"  Festgesang,"  for  Male  Voices  and  Brass  Band,  "  Begebt 
mil  heil'gem  Lobgesang."     No  opus  number. 

For  the  opening  of  the  Festival  in  honor  of  Printing. 


BERLIN".  141 

Songs  for  Four  Male  Voices : — 

"  Der  jSger  Abschied,"  op.  50,  no.  2. 

"  Wanderlied,"  op.  50,  no.  6. 

Song  for  Soprano,  Alto,  Tenor,  and  Bass,  "  Der  wand- 
ernde  Musikant,"  op.  88,  no.  6. 

1841. 

Music  for  "  Antigone,"  op.  55.    Berlin. 

Performed  for  the  first  time  on  the  6th  of  November,  1341, 
in  the  New  Palace,  at  Potsdam,  and  in  the  theater  at  Berlin, 
on  the  13th  of  April,  1&42. 

Variations  serieuses,  for  the  Pianoforte,  in  D  minor,  op. 

54.    Leipzig. 

Variations  for  the  Pianoforte,  in  E-flat,  op.  82.    Leipzig. 
Allegro  brilliant  for  the  Pianoforte,  in  A,  arranged  as  a 

Duett,  op.  92.    Leipzig. 
Prelude  for   the  Pianoforte,  in   E  minor,  for  "  Notre 

Temps."    Leipzig. 

Songs  for  Voice,  with  Pianoforte  accompaniment : — 
"  Frische  Fahrt,"  op.  57,  no.  6.    Leipzig. 
"  Erster  Verlust,"  op.  99,  no.  1.    Berlin. 
"  Das  Schifflein,"  op.  99,  no.  4.    Leipzig. 
Song  for  voice,  with  Pianoforte,  "  Ich  hor'  ein  VOglein 
locken."    No  opus  number. 

Appeared  first  as  a  contribution  to  a  Collection  of  Poetry 
by  Adolph  BOttger. 

"  Songs  without  Words  : " — 

"  Volkslied,"  in  A  minor,  op.  53,  no.  5. . 

in  A  major,  op.  53,  no  6.  S  Leipzig. 
"  in  B-flat,  op.  85,  no.  6 


REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

1842. 

Symphony,  in  A  minor,  op.  50.    Berlin. 

Called  the  "  Scotch  Symphony"  in  the  Letters  of  1830. 
Songs  for  Voice  with  Pianoforte : — 
"  Gondellied,"  op.  57,  no.  5. 
"  Schifflied,"  op.  71,  no.  4. 
Song  for  Two  Voices,  with  Pianoforte,  "  Wie  war  so 

schOn,"  op.  63,  no.  2. 
"  Song  without  Words,"  in  A  major,  op.  62,  no.  6. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN   LEIPZIG   ONCE    MORE. 

See  !  higher  in  his  upward  march 
Climbs  the  victorious  sun. 

MENDELSSOHN  returned  to  Leipzig  with  the 
title  of  a  Prussian  General  Music-Director, 
and  in  the  diploma  was  the  following  annota- 
tion :  "  to  be  at  the  disposition  of  the  Prussian 
Ministry."  How  often  did  the  General  Music- 
Director  jest  on  the  subject  of  this  formula, 
and  to  how  much  amusement  did  it  give  rise 
in  the  circles  of  his  musical  friends ! 

The  "  Antigone "  music  was  given  for  the 
first  time  on  November  6,  1841,  at  the  New 
Palace  at  Potsdam,  and  in  Berlin  on  April 
12,  1812,  but  did  not  appear  in  Leipzig  till 
March  5,  1S42.  Frau  Dessoir,  an  admirable 
actress,  and  Ilerr  Keger,  an  able  actor,  exerted 
all  their  energies  worthily  to  represent  this 
powerful  tragedy  ;  and  amid  the  most  breath- 
less excitement,  accompanied  by  strains  of 
music,  the  gigantic  story  of  Destiny  was  seen 


KEMINISCKXCP:S  OF  MEXDELSSOH^. 

on  those  boards,  typical  of  the  world  "  which 
elevates  man,  while  showing  his  nothingness." 
This  wonderful  piece  was  three  times  repeated, 
for  every  one  wished  to  see  the  brave  heroine 
descend  into  the  bridal  chamber  of  death  to 
rejoin  the  corpse  of  her  lover. 

Mendelssohn's  appointment  as  Kapellmeister 
to  the  King  of  Saxony  is  also  of  this  date. 

A  stirring  migratory  life  now  began  for 
Mendelssohn.  He  went  back  and  forwards  be- 
tween Berlin,  Leipzig,  and  Dresden,  with  one 
interlude  to  his  beloved  Diisseldorf,  to  attend 
a  musical  festival  where  Handel's  "  Israel  in 
Egypt "  and  the  "  Hymn  of  Praise "  were 
given ;  and  on  the  third  day  of  the  festival  he 
excited  the  utmost  enthusiasm  by  his  perform- 
ance of  Beethoven's  E-flat  major  Concerto. 

The  following  notice  of  Mendelssohn  was  in 
a  musical  paper,  calling  him  "  an  inborn  fes- 
tival director : "  "  He  combines  conflicting 
masses,  animates  them  to  become  an  organized 
whole ;  and  by  his  winning  courtesy,  his  bril- 
liant wit,  as  well  as  by  the  conspicuous  trea- 
sures of  his  knowledge,  he  inspires  even  the 


IX    LEIPZIG   OXCE    MORE.  145 

most  lukewarm  with  eager  zeal,  and  incites  the 
most  perverse  to  perseverance  and  attention." 

Honors  and  triumphs  accompanied  all  his 
steps,  and  royal  favor  decorated  his  breast 
with  the  "  Order  of  Merit."  Henceforth  little 
chance  of  rest  was  given  him — all  the  world 
were  laving  claim  to  him.  In  spite  of  this 
outward  life  of  excitement,  he  worked  with 
his  usual  industry,  and  one  bright  blossom 
after  another  sprung  up  from  his  creative 
spirit ;  and  yet  the  man  so  courted  by  all,  felt 
himself  happiest  in  his  "  little  study." 

How  charming  he  writes  to  Klingemann  at 
the  commencement  of  the  year  1843 :  — 

"  I  now  feel,  however,  more  vividly  than 
ever  what  a  heavenly  calling  Art  is;  and  for 
this  also  I  have  to  thank  my  parents.  Just 
when  all  else  which  ought  to  interest  the  mind 
appears  so  repugnant,  and  empty,  and  insipid, 
the  smallest  real  service  to  Art  lays  hold  of 
your  inmost  thoughts,  leading  you  so  far  away 
from  town,  and  country,  and  from  earth  itself, 
that  it  is  indeed  a  blessing  sent  by  God." 

The  Leipzig  Coiiservatorinm,  for  the  erec- 
5* 


146          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

tion  of  which  the  noble  King  of  Saxony  had 
granted  an  important  sum,  occupied  Men- 
delssohn very  much ;  and  his  heartfelt  joy  at 
the  opening  of  this  Institution,  so  fruitful  in 
blessings  for  Art,  is  related  to  this  day  with 
emotion  by  those  of  his  friends  who  were  eye- 
witnesses of  it.  It  had  not  been  brought  into 
existence  without  manifold  cares jand  troubles; 
how  much  passive  opposition  had  there  been 
to  vanquish,  how  many  obstacles  to  set  aside  ! 
Mendelssohn  by  no  means  always  worked 
under  a  blue  sky  and  sunshine.  Many  a  time 
his  soul  was  wounded  by  narrow-mindedness, 
shortsightedness,  ignorance  and  obstinacy,  and 
above  all,  by  irritated  vanity,  the  outbursts  of 
which  obstructed  his  path  in  most  varied  forms. 
The  first  teachers  in  the  Leipzig  Conservato- 
rium  diffused  the  brilliancy  of  their  rays 
through  all  distant  lands,  and  at  a  later  date 
the  venerated  Moscheles  was  added  to  the 
number.  At  the  commencement  those  who 
were  occupied  with  it  were  Mendelssohn  him- 
self; the  most  learned  contrapuntist  in  Ger- 
many, the  pupil  and  friend  of  Spohr,  the  Can- 


fX    LEIPZIG    OXCE   MORE.  147 

tor  of  the  Thomas  School,  Moritz  Haupt- 
mann  ;  the  ever-memorable  Robert  Schumann ; 
the  king  of  violin  players,  David;  August 
Pohlenz  ;  and  the  celebrated  organist,  Becker. 
After  the  death  of  Pohlenz,  Frau  Biihnau- 
Grabau  and  Friedrich  Bohme  undertook  the 
instruction  in  solo  and  choir  singing.  The 
other  appointments  were  that  amiable  col- 
league of  David,  August  Klengel,  and  two 
young  pianoforte  virtuosos,  Plaidy  and  AVen- 
zel.  An  Italian,  Signor  Ghezzi,  agreed  to 
teach  Italian  ;  and  the  clever  author  of  "  The 
History  of  Music,"  Franz  Brendel,  delivered 
scientific  lectures  to  the  pupils.  Advocate 
Schleinitz,  one  of  Mendelssohn's  most  devoted 
friends,  conducted  the  affairs  of  the  Institu- 
tion, which  soon  made  astonishing  progress — 
indeed  it  could  not  be  otherwise  under  such 
auspices  ;  and  it  still  flourishes  to  the  glory  of 
its  founder,  a  genuine  and  legitimate  seminary 
for  the  science  of  music. 

Of  the  teachers  at  that  time  appointed  by 
Mi-ndelssohn,  the  following  still  work  on  in  un- 
diminished  vigor : — Moscheles,  David.  Klengel, 


14:8          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Plaidy,  Wenzel,  and  Brendel,  by  whose  side 
stand  many  younger  talents  worthy  of  note. 

What  Mendelssohn  accomplished  as  a  teach- 
er, alone  would  have  sufficed  to  gain  a  great 
name  for  him ;  in  that  capacity,  the  grand 
nature  of  his  talents  and  his  character  appeared 
in  the  most  brilliant  light.  It  was  impossible 
to  show  more  goodness  of  heart  and  patience 
than  he  invariably  did  in  his  intercourse  with 
his  pupils,  and  his  indulgence  toward  honest 
industry  and  good  will  was  most  touching.  On 
the  other  hand,  he  was  very  severe  toward 
negligence  and  presumption ;  and  to  want  of 
truth,  in  whatever  shape  it  presented  itself,  he 
was  inexorable — nay,  almost  implacable.  He 
was  enthusiastically  prized  and  idolized,  but 
also  dreaded  as  the  most  incorruptible  of 
judges.  The  lofty  purity  of  his  nature  instinct- 
ively repelled  all  that  was  ignoble — a  nature 
to  which  Gothe's  words  about  Schiller  -are  so 
wonderfully  applicable : 

And  far  behind  him,  distanced  in  the  race, 
There  lagged  the  valgar  curse  of  commonplace. 

This  caused  him  sometimes  to  appear  blunt, 


IX    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MOKE. 


and  even  austere  ;  no  one  was  less  easily  capti- 
vated by  superficial  brilliant  qualities  and 
gifts,  if  tlie  inner  man  did  not  correspond  with 
the  glittering  exterior.  All  bis  pupils  ac- 
knowledged, witb  tlie  warmest  gratitude,  bow 
instructive  were  bis  bints  in  looking  through 
their  compositions,  how  suggestive  bis  blame, 
bow  elevating  his  praise.  He  knew  how  to 
encourage  the  most  apprehensive.  The  most 
timid  talent  developed  itself  under  the  light 
of  his  eyes,  and  blossomed  like  violets  in  sun- 
shine ;  and  the  most  closed-up  bud  unfolded, 
and  became  in  his  vicinity  a  glorious  flower. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  ISttS,  was  performed 
in  the  Gewandhaus  Concert,  and  indeed  for 
the  first  time  in  public,  Gothe's  "  Walpurgis 
Kacht."  Mendelssohn  had  already,  in  Rome, 
partly  composed  music  for  this  ballad,  perhaps 
at  the  express  desire  of  Gothe  ;  and  Hildebrandt 
can  still  tell  of  many  a  conversation,  grave  and 
gay,  about  the  ancient  Druids,  and  he  no  doubt 
first  heard  that  wild  fantastic  chorus  — 

Kommt  mit  Zacken  und  Qabeln, 

played  on  the  pianoforte. 


150          REMINISCENCES    OF   MEXDEL8SOIIN. 

The  work  is  a  musical  picture  in  the  most 
glowing  colors — I  might  almost  say  the  tints 
are  taken  from  that  favored  land,  "  wo  die 
Citronen  bliihen,"  and  we  breathe  a  spring  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Alps  in  that  enchanting 
female  chorus — 

The  forest  wakes  to  life  beneath  the  emiles  of  May. 

We  poor  creatures  do  not  usually  sing  of  our 
spring  in  such  delightfully  gay  and  buoyant 
strains,  for  generally  it  brings  us  only  violent 
colds !  Indeed,  at  most,  our  poets  only  dream 
in  their  poet-dens  of 

That  miracle  of  months — sweet  May, 
When  buds  are  bursting  on  the  spray  1 

Alas !  in  the  rude  reality  of  the  North  these 
poor  buds  chiefly  perish  from  cold  —  poor 
things ! 

I  wonder  what  venerable  Father  Gothe 
would  have  said,  could  he  have  heard  that 
grand  and  simple  passage — 

1  Twixt  light  and  darkness  let  us  choose ; 

Through  foulest  smoke  the  flame  shines  bright ; 
What  matters  it  if  forms  we  lose  ? 

We  cannot  lose  thy  glorious  light. 

As  for  us  commonplace  children  of  the  earth, 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MOKE.  151 

tears  rushed  to  our  eyes,  and  our  hearts  beat  with 
emotion.  It  was  said  in  Leipzig,  that  on  that 
occasion,  Herr  Kindermann,  now  in  Munich, 
sang  with  inimitable  beauty,  and  that  the  voice 
of  Fraulein  Schloss,  in  the  mournful  appeal 
of  the  "  Fran,  aus  dem  Volke,"  had  the  most 
touching  effect. 

The"  years  1843  and  1844  can  boast  of  a 
long  list  of  finished  compositions.  We  have 
the  music  of  the  "  Midsummer  Xight's  Dream," 
in  which  Felix  Mendelssohn  so  clearly  shows 
that  the  sportive  tiny  race  of  elves,  fairies,  water- 
sprites,  and  spirits  of  all  kinds  are  as  entirely 
subject  to  his  magic  scepter  as  to  that  of  Oberon 
or  his  Titania.  We  have  also  the  choruses 
and  overtures  to  Racine's  " Athalia ; "  a  grand 
concert  Aria  for  soprano ;  the  91st  Psalm  for 
chorus  and  orchestra ;  the  2nd,  43d,  and  22nd 
Psalms  for  a  choir  of  eight  voices ;  a  hymn  for 
contralto,  chorus,  and  orchestra;  an  anthem, 
"  Herr  Gott,  du  bist  unsere  Zuflucht,"  for  a 
chorus  of  eight  voices  ;  several  great  composi- 
tions for  pianoforte  and  stringed  instruments ; 
five  Sonatas  for  the  organ,  books  of  songs, 


152          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Quartetts,  Duetts ;  a  violin  Concerto  in  E  minor, 
written  for  his  dear  friend  and  colleague  David ; 
and  that  most  exquisite  hymn  for  soprano, 
chorus,  and  organ,  "  Hor'  mem  Bitten,  Ilerr, 
neige  dich  zu  mir." 

Mendelssohn  passed  the  summer  of  ISttl  in 
charming  Soden,  near  Frankfort,  and  that  city 
of  his  most  delightful  reminiscences  detained 
him  also  all  the  winter.  He  there  first  thor- 
oughly recruited  his  strength  after  all  the  fatigue 
of  concerts,  and  the  suspense  of  waiting  and 
watching  within  the  walls  of  Berlin.  He  gave 
himself  up  to  the  dolce  far  niente  of  rural 
life  in  that  most  attractive  of  all  the  Taunus 
baths,  with  all  the  gayety  of  a  child  enjoying 
his  holidays  ;  and  how  charmingly  bright  his 
mood  was,  we  learn  from  a  captivating  letter 
to  his  sister  Fanny,  in  which  he  draws  a  con- 
trast between  English  society  and  his  musical 
days  in  London  and  his  present  secluded  life  : 

"  If  you  refuse  to  come  to  Soden  for  a  fort- 
night, to  enjoy  with  me  the  incredible  fascina- 
tions of  this  country  and  locality,  all  my  de- 
scriptions are  of  no  avail ;  and,  alas  !  I  know 


IN    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MORE.  153 

too  well  that  you  will  not  come.  I  therefore 
spare  you  man}*  descriptions.  My  family  im- 
prove every  day  in  health,  while  I  lie  under 
apple-trees  and  huge  oaks.  In  the  latter  case, 
I  request  the  swine-herd  to  drive  his  animals 
under  some  other  tree,  not  to  disturb  me  (this 
happened  yesterday) ;  further,  I  eat  strawber- 
ries with  my  coffee,  at  dinner  and  supper ;  I 
drink  Asmunnsliiiuser,  rise  at  six  o'clock,  and 
yet  sleep  nine  hours  and  a  half  (pray,  Fanny, 
at  what  hour  do  I  go  to  bed  ?)  I  visit  all  the 
woudrously  beautiful  environs,  and  meet  Herr 
B in  the  most  romantic  spot  of  all  (hap- 
pened yesterday),  who  gives  me  the  latest  and 
best  report  of  you  all,  and  addresses  me  as 
General  Music-Director,  which  sounds  to  me 
as  strange  here  as  Oberursel,  and  Lorschbach, 
and  Schneidheiin  would  to  you.  Then  toward 
evening  I  have  visits  from  Lenau,  and  Hoffmann 
von  Fallersleben,  at  Freiligrath,  when  we  stroll 
through  the  fields  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  near 
home,  and  find  fault  with  the  system  of  the 
world,  utter  prophecies  about  the  weather,  and 
are  unable  to  say  what  is  to  become  of  Eng- 


154         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

land  in  the  future.  Further,  I  sketch  busily, 
and  compose  still  more  busily." 

And  in  another  letter  to  Fanny  Ilensel,  a 
longing  sigh  seems  breathed  from  the  very 
depth  of  his  heart : 

"  If  I  could  only  continue  to  live  during 
half  a  year  as  I  have  done  here  for  a  fortnight 
past,  what  might  I  not  accomplish  ?  But  the 
regulation  and  direction  of  so  many  concerts, 
and  attending  others,  give  me  no  pleasure,  and 
produce  no  result." 

Indeed,  he  did  not  even  here  succeed  in  liv- 
ing as  unnoticed  as  he  wished  ;  those  he  knew 
and  did  not  know,  equally  soughtf  him  out,  and 
musical  celebrities  made  pilgrimages  to  Soden 
in  order  to  see  him;  vocal  societies  brought 
their  vivat,  and  meanwhile  Mendelssohn  di- 
rected a  musical  festival  in  the  Palatinate, 
where  he  was  much  made  of,  and  where  his 
"  St.  Paul"  and  "Walpurgis  JSfacht "  were  per- 
formed. Letters  innumerable  from  all  parts 
told  him  of  that  busy  world  without,  that  he 
would  so  gladly  have  forgotten.  When,  how- 
ever, he  had  heard  and  read  enough,  he  used 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MORE.  155 

suddenly  to  disappear,  and  lie  down  again 
under  his  favorite  apple-trees,  his  music  and 
drawing  portfolios  beside  him,  gazing  into  the 
green  twilight  of  the  forest,  watching  the  rajs 
of  light  darting  across  the  turf,  and  listening  to 
a  medley  of  birds,  singing  in  every  key,  and  yet- 
always  in  perfect  narniony,  never  out  of  tune 
and  never  out  of  time.  And  gradually  all 
became  darker  and  stiller.  The  moon  rose, 
while  strange  distant  chimes  and  the  low  trem- 
ulous tones  of  horns  stole  on  the  ear.  The  air 
was  full  of  ringing  and  stirring  life;  wings 
gently  rustled  in  flying  past,  and  elves  darted 
rapidly  past  on  their  tiny  white  steeds  with 
golden  antlers,  while  their  lovely  queen  nodded 
to  him  "  smiling  as  she  rode  by." 

But  not  only  does  Mendelssohn  appear  to 
have  passed  a  happy  summer  in  Frankfort,  but 
also  a  joyous  winter.  How  full  of  fun  is  that 
passage  in  a  letter  to  Rebecca  Dirichlet,  dis- 
patched from  Frankfort,  the  City  on  the  Maine, 
to  Florence,  the  City  on  the  Arno — Fanny 
Hensel  being  then  in  Rome : 

"I    came  with    S last    night   at  one 


156          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

o'clock  from  a  musical  punch  party,  where  I 
first  played  Beethoven's  Sonata  106,  in  B-flat, 
and  then  drank  212  glasses  of  punch  fortis- 
simo.  We  sang  the  duett  from  '  Faust '  in 
the  Mainz  Street,  because  there  was  such  won- 
derful moonlight,  and  to-day  I  have  rather  a 
headache.  Pray,  cut  off  this  part  before  you 
send  this  letter  to  Rome ;  a  younger  sister  may 
be  intrusted  with  such  a  confidence ;  but  an 
elder  one,  and  in  such  a  Papal  atmosphere — 
not  for  your  life  !  " 

Mendelssohn  seems  at  that  period  to  have 
thought  seriously  of  subsequently  settling  in 
Frankfort.  In  a  letter  to  the  worthy  Senator 
Bernus,  written  from  Leipzig,  October  10, 
1845,  he  says : — 

"  As  soon,  however,  as  I  have  won  the  right 
to  live  solely  for  my  inward  work  and  compos- 
ing, only  occasionally  conducting  and  playing 
in  public  just  as  it  may  suit  me,  then  I  shall 
assuredly  return  to  the  Rhine,  and  probably, 
according  to  my  present  idea,  settle  at  Frank- 
fort. The  sooner  I  can  do  so,  the  more  I  shall 
be  pleased.  I  never  undertook  external  mu- 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MORE.  157 

sical  pursuits,  such  as  conducting,  etc.,  from 
inclination,  but  only  from  a  sense  of  duty ;  so 
I  hope,  before  many  years  are  over,  to  apply 
myself  to  building  a  house." 

A  host  of  birds  of  passage  from  distant 
lands,  and  passing  scholars,  flocked  to  the  mas- 
ter at  Leipzig  during  the  winter  of  1845-46. 
The  most  far-famed  representatives  of  music 
were  to  be  seen  and  heard  in  the  Lindenstadt. 
Hector  Berlioz,  Keller,  Pauline  Garcia,  JVTme 
Schroder  and  her  daughter,  and  the  talented 
Wilhelmine  Devrient  ;  Gade,  a  young  Dane, 
the  clever  composer  of  that  Highland  Sym- 
phony with  which  Mendelssohn  was  so  highly 
.delighted;  the  admired  pianist,  M'me  Dulcken 
(David's  Hster) ;  Parish  Alvars,  Servais,  Rob- 
ert Franz  from  Halle,  Lobe  from  Vienna,  and 
many  others.  Among  the  casual  pupils  I  in- 
clude Louis  Khlert  from  Kdnigsberg,  the  author 
of  "  Musical  Letters  and  Diaries  from  Rome ; " 
Richard  AVuerst,  Karl  Reinecke,  Riccius,  Otto 
Goldschmidt;  that  inseparable  couple  of  violin- 
ists, Joseph  von  AVasielewsky  and  Otto  von 
Konigslow.  the  former  of  whom  has  taken  a 


158         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

place  among  authors  as  the  biographer  of 
Schumann,  the  latter  being  a  concert  meister  ; 
Otto  Dresel,  now  in  America  as  a  propagan- 
dist of  German  music ;  and  likewise  a  certain 
virtuoso,  then  very  juvenile,  in  a  short  Hunga- 
rian jacket — Joseph  Joachim  by  name  ! 

Amid  all  these  musicians  some  poets  start 
forth,  who  in  those  days,  as  they  moved  along, 
seemed  in  my  eyes  encompassed  with  golden 
halos,  such  as  we  see  round  the  heads  of  saints. 
Which  of  these  could  ever  have  imagined  that 
the  merry  young  girl  to  whom  they  said  a  few 
good-humored  words  in  passing,  or  sometimes 
asked  to  sing  for  them,  or  danced  with  her,  as, 
for  example,  the  author  of  the  "  Village  Tales 
of  the  Black  Forest,"  would  one  day  have  the 
privilege  to  address  them  as  her  "  colleague  ?  " 

Gustav  Freytag  lived  in  Leipzig,  the  ele- 
gant Robert  Heller,  and  also  Heinrich  Laube, 
Oswald  Marbach,  Julius  Hammer,  Hermann 
Marggraif,  Gustav  Kuhne,  Moritz  Hartmann, 
whose  handsome  poetical  head  we  all  secretly 
so  much  admired;  Andersen  also  often  came 
over ;  and  also  the  enfant  cheri  of  the  Leipzig 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MOKE.  159 

ladies,  the  renowned  Berthold  Auerbach.  An 
ardent  enthusiast  for  music,  a  most  delightful 
member  of  society,  he  belonged  specially  to 
that  circle  of  which  Mendelssohn  formed  the 
brilliant  center.  Legationsrath  Gerhard,  the 
masterly  translator  of  Burns,  moved  amid  all 
these  his  colleagues  with  youthful  freshness 
and  sensibility. 

In  many  Leipzig  families  the  musical  ele- 
ment reigned  in  the  most  cheerful  sociability, 
above  all  in  the  house  of  Karl  Harkort,  at 
whose  hospitable  gatherings  mighty  minds  did 
indeed  sometimes  come  into  collision,  as  friend 
and  foe  alike  met  there.  Frau  Auguste  Har- 
kort, Gustav  Iviihne's  mother-in-law,  the  most 
intellectual  and  warm-hearted  of  women,  and 
formerly  a  distinguished  singer,  did  the  honors 
of  the  most  charming  salon,  where  there  were 
readings,  music,  theatricals,  dinners,  and  sup- 
pers ;  she  gave  fetes  to  }'oung  and  old  in  Leip- 
zig ;  and  also  in  her  pretty  little  country-house 
at  Dolitz,  receiving  all  her  guests  with  the  ut- 
most courtesy.  May  her  quiet  grave  in  the 
beautiful  churchyard  of  the  Johann  Church 


160         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

never  be  without  an  ivy-wreath,  in  grateful 
remembrance  of  so  many  happy  hours  ! 

The  excellent  Prince  Reuss  habitually  re- 
ceived the  representatives  of  art,  poetry,  and 
science,  and  so  did  the  brothers  Hartel,  the 
respected  proprietors  of  the  world-famed  firm 
of  Breitkopf  &  Hiirtel;  there  was  also  the 
worthy  couple  Dorrien,  Hofrath  Keil,  the 
houses  of  Preusser,  Salomon-Seeburg,  Ivistner, 
Consul  Clauss,  Petschke,  Friedrich  and  Hein- 
rich  Brockhaus,  Yon  der  Pfordten,  the  Rector 
magnificus  of  that  day.  The  most  refined  of 
all  musical  enjoyments,  however,  under  the 
segis  of  the  sweet  vocal  muse,  was  offered  in 
the  salon  of  Fran  Li  via  Frege  ;  a  choice  selec- 
tion of  music  in  every  style  was  to  be  heard 
iu  Reudnitz,  at  the  house  of  the  interesting  old 
Friedrich  Hofmeister,  the  hospitable,  amiable 
patron  of  all  rising  musical  talent. 

On  a  certain  day  late  in  the  autumn  of 
1845,  in  the  first  floor  of  the  Burger  School, 
one  forenoon,  at  twelve  o'clock,  Kapellmeister 
Mendelssohn  was  announced.  We  certainly 
were  in  some  degree  prepared  for  this  visit, 


IN    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MORE.  1G1 

for  Ferdinand  Bohme,  my  singing-master, 
whom  I  remember  with  gratitude,  told  me  he 
had  spoken  to  Mendelssohn  of  my  zeal  for 
music-,  and  of  my  voice,  and  that  his  reply  was, 
"  I  will  go  myself  shortly,  and  have  a  look  at 
this  little  singing-bird."  If  the  mere  sugges- 
tion excited  me  so  much,  and  even  caused  me 
sleepless  nights,  the  announcement  of  the  ac- 
tual presence  of  him  I  had  expected  brought 
on  a  paroxysm  of  fever  !  My  sisters  gathered 
round  me  ;  we  could  scarcely  realize  that  there, 
in  the  adjoining  room,  was  actually  the  man 
whose  praises  we  sang  in  every  key.  My 
parents,  too,  were  not  quite  composed;  my 
mother's  sweet,  fragile  face  changed  color,  but 
she  summoned  sufficient  courage  to  open  the 
door  between  us  and  our  valued  guest — and 
that  I  believe  I  could  not  have  brought  myself 
to  do  in  the  course  of  an  hour.  I  followed 
them  into  the  room  is  if  in  a  dream,  while  my 
sisters,  as  I  well  knew,  peeped  through  the 
keyhole  by  turns. 

He  came  up  to  us  in  as  friendly  a  manner 
as  if  we  had  been  old  acquaintances,  and  shook 


162         REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

hands  with  my  father ;  we  sat  down  beside 
him,  when  he  began  to  chat  with  ray  parents, 
telling  them  he  had  heard  much  praise  of  my 
voice  and  my  soul  for  music,  from  my  teacher  ; 
that  he,  as  well  as  the  public,  at  this  moment 
stood  in  need  of  fresh  voices  and  musical  tal- 
ent, and  that  all,  according  to  the  powers  allot- 
ted to  them,  must  contribute  to  further  the 
cause  of  music — that  the  Concert  Hall  of  the 
Gewandhaus  was  no  battle-field,  but  an  artistic 
Institution,  where  youthful  rising  genius  was 
offered  an  opportunity  to  learn  something  solid. 
One  word  gave  rise  to  another ;  my  father  and 
mother  also  spoke ;  and  although  the  latter,  to 
all  the  persuasions  of  my  singing-master  to 
allow  me  to  study  art  as  a  profession,  had  en- 
ergetically answered,  "  Never  can  I  consent 
that  my  child  should  appear  in  public ! "  I 
now  saw  and  heard,  to  my  amazement,  that, 
fairly  vanquished,  she  placed  this  same  child 
at  the  disposition  of  the  Herr  Kapellmeister. 
The  opposition  of  my  father  also  was  only 
feeble,  and  speedily  overcome.  Mendelssohn, 
indeed,  always  carried  his  point ;  no  one  could 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE   MORE.  163 

ever  withstand  his  manner,  his  glance,  or  his 
smile  ;  as  for  myself,  I  was  of  course  ready  to 
do  everything — to  sing  day  and  night  if  he 
thought  it  advisable.  AVe  would  all  have  gone 
through  real  fire  and  water  for  him — not,  like 

O  ' 

Tamino  and  Pamina,  through  merely  painted 
flames ;  but  on  no  account  would  I  have  al- 
lowed this  to  be  remarked.  On  this  occasion, 
therefore,  I  sat  quite  still  and  silent,  gazing  at 
the  charming  refined  countenance,  and  listen- 
ing, as  if  in  a  dream,  to  his  gentle  voice  and 
rapid,  eager  utterance. 

He  then  suddenly  turned  to  the  "  little  sing- 
ing-bird," and  said,  with  a  smile,  "  Will  you  be 
so  good  as  to  sing  something  for  me !  I 
should  like  so  much  to  hear  you." 

I  felt  my  heart  stop  beating,  and  I  became 
as  pale  as  death  ;  but  I  stood  up  and  replied, 
"  If  you  wish  it,  I  will  try." 

"  AVhat  music  is  that  on  the  piano  ?  " — and 
at  these  words  he  rose.  "May  I  look  at  it? 
1  hope  you  are  not  frightened  ?  " 

I  looked  at  him  and  encountered  such  a 
kindly  smile,  that  I  suddenly  regained  my 


164:         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

courage.  It  also  occurred  to  me  how  soundly 
my  good  master  would  scold  me  if  I  did  not 
do  him  credit,  and  in  all  my  life  I  never  could 
endure  beino-  scolded.  "  Here  are  Mozart's 

o 

'  Zauberflote,'  and  Mendelssohn's  '  St.  Paul,'  " 
said  I. 

"  And  here  is  the  '  Creation,'  portions  of 
which  we  are  soon  to  perform,"  rejoined  Men- 
delssohn ;  "  I  think  we  are  in  very  interesting 
society.  Pray  sing  me  the  Aria  '  Jerusalem.'  ' 

Alas  !  just  as  if  he  really  had  been  aware 
of  it — the  very  Aria  in  which  Herr  Bohme 
always  found  fault  with  me,  on  account  of  a 
mistake  I  often  made  in  the  time,  and  which 
required  such  calmness  and  long  breath.  But 
my  mood  was  like  that  of  Moros,  when  he  says 
to  Dioiiysius : — 

I  am  prepared  for  death, 
Not  for  the  alms  of  life ; 

so,  without  any  remonstrance,  I  placed  the 
Aria  on  the  music-desk. 

Mendelssohn  seated  himself  at  the  piano, 
and  after  preluding  for  a  few  minutes,  he  nod- 
ded to  me  as  a  signal  to  begin. 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MORE.  165 

I  remember  that  I  neither  knew  who  I  was, 
nor  where  I  was.  I  only  thought,  "  It  is  Men- 
delssohn who  is  accompanying  von,  and  you 
are  to  sing  something  out  of  '  St.  Paul.' " 

And  I  sang.  On  this  occasion  I  made  no 
mistake  in  the  time ;  but  the  F,  which  I  ought 
to  have  held  steadily,  trembled  sadly  at  the 
commencement ;  but  the  longer  I  went  on, 
the  more  calm  and  composed  I  felt ;  and  only 
toward  the  close,  when  I  again  thought  of 
what  was  yet  to  come — his  verdict — did  my 
voice  once  more  tremble.  But  all  my  alarm 
proved  superfluous  ;  he  was  most  kind  and  en- 
couraging, commending  the  freshness  of  my 
voice  and  warmth  of  expression.  '"  I  hope  you 
will  very  often  sing  for  us,"  said  he ;  "you 
must  frequent  the  society  of  Friiulein  Schloss, 
and  then  we  shall  hear  some  beautiful  duetts !  " 
At  the  same  time  he  requested  me  to  study  the 
Aria  out  of  the  "  Creation,"  "With  verdure 
clad  thy  fields  appear,"  and  also  to  undertake 
an  Elfin  part  in  the  approaching  performance 
ot  the  "  Midsummer  Xight's  Dream,"  for  my 
first  dt'but  in  the  Gewandhaus.  Behold  me 


166          KEMINISCEXCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

then  one  evening,  in  suitable  Elfin  attire,  all 
in  white,  beside  my  sister  Elf,  Fraulien  Sch  warz- 
bach  (subsequently  a  singer  in  Munich),  on  the 
raised  platform  of  the  momentous  Concert 
Hall.  The  sweet  intoxicating  music  of  the 
"  Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  floated  and  un- 
dulated round  me,  and  then  I  sang  my  "  Spot- 
ted Snakes  "  and  my  bright  "  Good  Night !  " 
My  eyes  were  steadily  fixed  on  the  director ; 
and  though  my  heart  beat  violently,  my  voice 
did  not  tremble ;  and  my  father,  who  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  furthest  corner  of  the  large  cen- 
ter box  occupied  by  those  stern  judges,  the 
members  of  the  Concert  Direction,  came  after- 
ward, with  a  cheerful  smile,  to  fetch  his  "  Elf." 
From  my  first  moment  to  the  present  hour, 
counting  and  reckoning  have  ever  been  a  point 
noir  to  me ;  so  my  admirable  teacher,  who  no 
doubt  believed  that  I  should  be  sure  to  go 
wrong  in  the  time,  now  looked  quite  radiant. 

He,  however,  was  satisfied,  and  said,  with 
his  sunny  smile,  that  my  debut  was  a  brilliant 
one.  The  very  next  morning — for  which  I 
shall  ever  be  grateful  to  him — Mendelssohn 


IX    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MOKE.  167 

came  to  see  my  mother,  who,  in  her  anxiety 
and  tenderness,  could  not  bear  to  hear  me  sing 
before  so  many  strangers,  and  never  could 
eventually  be  persuaded  to  do  so.  He  spoke 
with  such  warmth  and  kindness  of  the  little 
"  Elf,"  that  she  was  affected  even  to  tears. 
This  was  only  another  of  those  innumerable 
instances  of  that  "  courtesy  of  heart, "  the 
effects  of  which  are  so  inexpressibly  cheering. 
Who,  save  Mendelssohn,  wrould,  in  this  charm- 
ing manner,  have  taken  any  trouble  about  the 
tl:'lmt  of  a  beginner? 

From  that  day  I  took  a  certain  share  in  the 
best  public  and  private  musical  life  of  Leipzig, 
was  entitled  to  "  have  my  say,"  and  for  a  time 
floated  with  the  stream — 

Blinded  by  excess  of  light. 

I  also  at  that  time  frequented  the  society  of 
Fra'ulein  Schloss,  not  a  little  elated  at  being 
permitted  to  do  so.  She  lived  at  that  period 
in  the  Place  de  Repos,  and  was  engaged  for  a 
second  concert  season  in  Leipzig ;  and  how 
amiably  she  received  her  future  colleague,  how 
cordially  and  charmingly  she  knew  how  to  in- 


1G8          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

spire  me  with  courage,  how  admirably  she 
assisted  me  in  my  studies !  My  reminiscences 
of  her  and  her  sympathetic  voice,  of  her  mod- 
esty and  cheerfulness,  her  reverence  for  Men- 
delssohn, and  of  our  duetts  great  and  small, 
which  sounded  as  if  cast  in  one  mold,  are 
among  the  brightest  of  those  golden  days. 
And  yet  all  the  other  artistic  forms  who  at 
that  time  so  kindly  helped  to  encourage  the 
young  novice  in  art,  still  rise  vividly  before 
me : — Moscheles,  in  all  his  goodness,  and  his 
beautiful  and  universally  beloved  and  revered 
wife  ;  David,  so  cheerful  and  intelligent,  whose 
critical  eye  we  so  nervously  sought ;  Gade,  the 
amiable  conductor,  whose  head  recalled  the 
portraits  of  Mozart,  and  whose  personal  ap- 
pearance enchanted  the  ladies  of  Leipzig,  who 
liked  dancing  so  much,  but  who  did  not  merely 
dance  (to  use  his  own  playful  simile)  like  a 
eommod^  but  with  the  spirit  and  gayety  of  a 
student ;  Hauptmann,  the  composer  of  the 
"  Salve  Hegina,"  and  those  charming  songs, 
with  violin  accompaniment,  that  his  wife  sang 
with  such  depth  of  feeling ;  Julius  Rietz,  Fer- 


ix  LEIPZIG  ONVK  MOKK.  1G9 

dinaii'l  Ililler,  Lobe,  Ernst  Richter,  and  Robert 
Franz.  I  liad  but  a  passing  glimpse  of  Robert 
Schumann  at  that  time;  he  was  settled  in 
Dresden,  and  only  occasionally  came  to  Leip- 
zig when  any  of  his  works  were  performed — 
as,  for  instance,  his  "  Paradise  and  the  Peri " 
— or  when  his  accomplished  wife  played. 

A  great  deal  of  good  music  was  given  in 
private  circles  during  that  winter  in  Leipzig, 
and  it  was  not  confined  to  the  families  of  the 
Mcndelssohns,  Moscheles,  Davids,  and  Sch- 
leinitz.  AVherever  people  were  collected,  trios, 
choruses  from  oratorios,  and  quartettes  of  all 
kinds  were  performed  on  the  spur  of  the  mo- 
ment. 

On  similar  occasions,  and  more  especially  in 
the  charming  Sunday  matinees  at  M.  Frege's, 
Frau  Livia  Frege  exerted  her  sweet  voice ; 
there,  too,  the  good-humored,  jovial  old  Herr 
Lim burger  sang  Zelter's  ballads  with  inimita- 
ble liveliness  and  spirit ;  while  in  quartettes, 
the  clear  soprano  of  Fraulein  Jenny  Kiistner, 
and  the  melodious  tenor  of  Herr  Emil  Tretftz, 
were  specially  excellent ;  and  when  Mendels- 


170          REMINISCENCES    OF    ME.NDEL8SOHX. 

sohn  was  present,  lie  never  in  all  the  crowd 
overlooked  his  young  "recruit;" — however 
closely  he  was  surrounded,  he  always  found  a 
moment  to  address  a  friendly  word  to  us,  a 
playful  question  or  jest  as  he  passed, 

I  have  heard  complaints  of  Mendelssohn's 
bluntness,  and  want  of  amiability  in  social 
life.  It  was  said  that  he  often  sat  stiff  and 
silent,  without  allowing  a  single  spark  to  es- 
cape of  the  fire  and  genius  in  his  nature,  so 
well  known  to  all  his  friends.  But  then  how 
people  harassed  him,  who  was  so  averse  to  all 
ovations  !  How  they  persisted  in  inviting  him 
to  luxurious  feasts,  that  his  name  might  shed 
a  luster  on  their  salons,  without  caring  to  bring 
any  sympathetic  element  into  contact  with 
him  !  How  was  he  persecuted  by  applications 
of  every  kind,  which  hs  found  himself  con- 
strained to  refuse ;  and  this,  indeed,  produced 
angry  faces  and  spiteful  inuendoes.  He  could 
be  very  irritable  when  people  thought  they 
were  bound  to  converse  with  him  exclusively 
about  music  /  in  the  same  way  that  nothing  is 
more  depressing  to  an  author,  than  to  make 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MOKE.  171 

his  works  the  incessant  topic  of  conversation. 
"As  if  I  were  incapable  of  talking  on  any 
other  subject  than  my  profession,"  said  he, 
sometimes  with  amusing  indignation. 

How  animated,  on  the  other  hand,  did  he 
become  in  any  discussion  on  scientific  or  literary 
subjects ;  how  completely  was  he  at  home  on 
every  topic,  owing  to  his  rare  and  universal 
culture,  and  his  profound  and  lively  interest 
in  all  the  higher  questions  connected  with  the. 
realms  of  art  and  science ;  how  delighted  were 
the  old  gentlemen,  celebrated  professors,  rec- 
tors, and  directors,  in  the  venerable  Leipzig, 
to  converse  with  him !  On  the  other  hand, 
political  discussions,  which  in  those  turbulent 
times  were  scarcely  to  be  avoided  among  men, 
were  apt  to  annoy  him ;  and  his  friend  Ber- 
thold  Auerbach,  who  in  his  vivacity  sometimes 
touched  on  this  combustible  subject,  was  apt  to 
come  pretty  sharply  into  collision  with  him. 

I  may  here  make  mention  of  the  "  Lieder- 
tafel,"  as  an  attempt  to  bring  about  closer 
union  in  the  different  circles  formed  in  Leipzig 
for  the  furtherance  of  music  and  sociability, 


172          REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

although  its  existence  was  a  very  ephemeral 
one.  Members  of  the  better  classes  and  the 
aristocracy  assembled  in  a  large  room  on  the 
first  story  of  the  Aeckerlein  House  in  the 
market-place,  where  no  one  acted  the  part  of 
either  host  or  guest.  The  whole  company 
without  distinction  sang  quartettes,  and  after- 
ward supped  together;  but  though  Gothe 
says — 

I  love  my  Leipzig, 

"Tis  a  small  Paris  nurturing  her  sons, 

still,  unluckily,  even  to  the  present  day  it 
only  remains  a  "  small  Paris,"  where  there  is 
much  that  cannot  be  effected  by  any  skill  or 
efforts,  which  in  large  Paris  would  have  come 
of  itself.  The  genuine  Leipziger  does  not 
choose  to  be  molded  ;  his  own  individuality 
must  suffice  to  cast  a  halo  around  him.  It  is 
well  known  that  innumerable  "  kings  of  the 
rats  "  resided  in  Leipzig,  to  whose  tails  clung 
a  faithful  band ;  and  the  cost  of  bringing  all 
these  arbitrary  despots  within  the  folds  of  one 
Liedertafel,  those  who  made  the  attempt  to  es- 
tablish this  grand  scheme  of  fraternity  were 


IN    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MORE.  173 

only  too  soon  to  discover.  Each  person  who 
paid  his  contribution  arrived  with  a  feeling  of 
supreme  contempt  for  his  rival  in  the  Aeck- 
erlein  Hall,  and  quite  determined  for  no  con- 
sideration in  the  world  to  abate  an  atom  of  his 
own  dignity ;  and  a?  for  the  thoughts  of  the 
"  queens  of  the  rats,"  we  dare  not  attempt  to 
portray  them.  It  was  therefore  inevitable  that 
the  large  circle  should  be  split  into  innumera- 
ble smaller  ones  ;  those  alone  who  daily  associ- 
ated with  each  other  still  held  together,  and 
only  a  very  few  bold  navigators  hazarded 
themselves  on  those  unknown  seas. 

Mendelssohn,  as  one  independent  of  all  co- 
teries, did  the  honors  in  the  most  charming 
manner,  cheerfully  assisted  by  Gade  and  David. 
How  many  playful  and  memorable  words  they 
addressed  to  me ;  and  sometimes  Mendelssohn 
would  whisper,  "  What  as  to  the  time  of  that 
pretty  passage  1  "  when  he  sang  in  a  scarcely- 
audible  voice  some  difficult  passage  in  an  Aria 
which  I  was  perhaps  studying  at  that  very 
moment,  or  beat  time  while  I  sang  it  over 
piano-pianissimo.  We  young  girls,  who  on 


174:          REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

those  occasions  usually  flocked  together,  always 
took  the  greatest  trouble  with  the  quartettes; 
for  at  all  events  while  we  were  singing,  all 
discord  ceased,  and  then  he  would  sometimes 
say,  "  I  distinctly  heard  how  very  well  those 
in  this  little  corner  sang  !  "  and  we  all  recom- 
menced with  fresh  ardor  after  such  an  eulo- 
gium. 

When  the  time  for  supper  arrived,  however, 
our  old  schisms  revived  : 

Disperse  1  disperse !  ye  valiant  men, 

was  oar  silent  watchword,  and  small  groups 
clung  steadily  to  each  other,  gave  mutual 
toasts,  and  whispered  together  so  that  their 
neighbors  should  not  hear  them.  The  new 
Leipzig  "  Liedertafel,"  therefore,  in  spite  of 
every  attempt  to  save  it,  died  a  natural  death 
during  the  ensuing  winter.  No  words  can 
describe  Mendelssohn's  exceeding  kindness  to 

o 

me,  when  I  sang  at  the  Gewandhaus.  He 
moved  his  conductor's  desk  forward,  which  was 
quite  unusual,  so  that  it  was-  close  beside  me, 
and  I  could  see  him  just  before  rne  in  order  to 
inspire  me  with  courage,  and  how  good-natur- 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE   MOKE.  175 

edly  he  nodded  and  glanced  at  me  while  con- 
ducting! "When  I  was  sitting  in  the  place 
appropriated  to  the  singers  in  front  of  the  or- 
chestra, and  my  turn  came  to  sing,  my  heart, 
beat  so  violently,  that  during  the  previous 
overture  I  could  distinguish  no  notes,  but  felt 
only  a  buzzing,  rushing  sound  in  my  ears ; 
when  a  pause  arrived,  he  used  to  come  down 
the  steps  that  led  from  the  platform  to  the 
place  where  the  audience  sat.  AYith  that  easy 
grace  which  so  well  became  him,  he  made  a 
bow,  and  I  followed  him  to  the  platform  with 
sensations  closely  allied  to  those  of  the  con- 
demned criminal  when  he  ascends  the  scaffold. 
How  many  hundred  eyes  were  directed  toward 
me  !  But  Mendelssohn  had  always  a  cheering 
word  for  the  timid  singer.  "Mademoiselle, 
you  always  do  your  work  so  admirably  ;  but  I 
can  see  by  your  face  this  evening  that  you  in- 
tend fairly  to  bewitch  the  public ;  "  or,  "  Now 
just  for  the  next  half-hour  imagine  that  you 
are  the  first  singer  in  Europe  ;  and  so  will  I ;  " 
or,  "Let  us  try  to  turn  Ferdinand  Bohme's 
head  altogether  to-day  with  delight !  "  Oh ! 


176         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

who  could  ever  forget  all  those  kind  words; 
and  the  kind  face  too  ! 

I  went  once  to  see  him  with  Sophie  Schloss, 
to  sing  Reichardt's  "  Yiolet "  Duett — a  simple, 
sweet  melody,  "  Ein  Veilchen  auf  der  Wiese 
stand."  I  had  the  first  part,  and  took  the 
high  B-flat  with  perfect  ease  and  courage. 
On  which  he  turned  to  me  and  said,  with  a 
bright  glance,  "  Charmingly  sung  indeed,  and 
it  goes  straight  to  the  heart !  If  Keichardt 
could  only  hear  you  !  I  must  write  to  his 
daughter  about  it.  How  innocent  and  lovely 
it  sounds,  and  how  beautifully  the  voices 
blend  !  I  could  listen  to  it  for  hours  !"  It 
was  on  this  occasion  that  he  gave  us  a  little 
duett  on  the  words  "  Thou  hast  me  forsaken, 
Jamie."  Fraulein  Schloss  sang,  "  Thou  hast 
me  forgotten,  Jamie."  " Forsaken"  repeated 
Mendelssohn,  adding,  "  After  all,  it  is  pretty 
much  the  same  thing.  To  be  forsaken  is  to 
be  forgotten ;  what  do  you  say,  ladies  ? " 
"  Oh !  I  think  that  to  be  forgotten  must  be  a 
thousand  times  worse  than  to  be  forsaken," 
said  I.  Mendelssohn  turned,  and,  looking  at 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCK    MOKK.  ITT 

me,  said  with  fervor,  "Only  see  the  lesson 
that  little  girl  gives  us  botli ;  and  how  right 
she  is !  To  be  forsaken  is  hard  to  bear ;  but 
to  be  forgotten,  the  saddest  thins:  in  the 

~  /  <—> 

world  :  " 

The  concert  in  which  we  sang  this  "Violet" 
song  in  public  was  particularly  brilliant,  and 
Mendelssohn  in  his  most  radiant  mood.  Sophie 
Schloss  was  in  yellow  satin  and  black  lace, 
with  dark  crimson  roses  in  her  hair.  She  first 
sang  with  the  most  enthusiastic  applause  Mo- 
zart's "  Violet,"  an  especial  favorite  of  Men- 
delssohn's ;  and  then  came  our  "Violet "  Duett, 
which  was  three  times  encored;  the  Trio  from. 
Cimaro.-a's  "  Matrimonio  Segreto,"  in  which 
Fidalma  (Schloss),  with  her  soothing  "  Ver- 
gogna — vergogna  !  "  excelled  to  the  uttermost, 
while  I  almost  acted  the  part  of  the  excited 
Karoline,  to  Mendelssohn's  very  great  satisfac- 
tion, for  I  sang  with  so  much  fire;  and  the 
third  in  our  bond,  Fraulein  Starke,  was  full 
of  vivacity  ;  so  this  exquisite  piece  of  music 
was  also  uproariously  encored.  On  that  even- 
ing, Mendelssohn  said  to  Sophie  Schloss,  "  We 


178         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

have  a  pretty  little  Wold  Schloss  here,  but  our 
little  Concert  Schloss  is  by  far  prettier." 

When  I  took  leave  of  him  he  said,  "  I  can- 
not forget  the  '  Violet '  song ;  and  the  first 
time  that  I  am  sad  at  heart,  I  will  beg  you  to 
sing  it  for  me." 

It  is  most  pleasing  to  read  in  Sophie  Schloss' 
letters,  written  in  her  own  delightful  manner, 
the  details  of  her  residence  at  that  time  in 
Leipzig,  and  of  her  intimacy  with  Mendelssohn. 
She  was  attached  to  him  with  the  most  devoted 
gratitude.  He  was  her  friend  and  teacher, 
and  promoted  her  splendid  talent  in  every  pos- 
sible way.  By  his  warm  recommendations  she 
received  the  most  nattering  and  lucrative  offers 
on  all  sides  to  sing  at  concerts,  while  he  ob- 
tained permission  for  her  from  the  Directors 
of  the  Leipzig  Concerts  to  accept  these  engage- 
ments. Once,  when  she  returned  to  Leipzig 
after  a  prolonged  tour  of  concerts,  and  went 
to  see  Mendelssohn,  he  called  out  to  her,  laugh- 
ing, "Fraulein  Schloss,  you  are  come  home 
again,  like  the  '  Dorf-Barbier ! ' :  She  always 
sang  to  him  previous  to  every  grand  rehearsal, 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE   MORE.  179 

when  he  would  not  allow  her  to  leave  him  un- 
til she  could  execute  the  music  in  question 
exactly  in  accordance  with  his  ideas.  Ah ! 
these  were  indeed  charming  days !  but  Friiu- 
lein  Schloss  writes,  "  I  had  my  evil  days  too !  " 
On  one  occasion  she  had  to  sing  to  him  at  first 
sight,  and  transpose  an  Aria  of  Mozart's  (the 
same  that  David  afterward  played  so  splen- 
didly). The  singer  herself  admits  that  "it 
went  as  badly  as  possible;"  on  which  Men- 
delssohn at  length  started  up  and  tore  the  Aria 
into  a  hundred  pieces.  "Horrible!  beneath 
all  criticism  !  "  he  exclaimed.  Sophie  Schloss' 
large  dark  eyes,  that  had  watched  his  move- 
ments in  alarm,  now  filled  with  tears,  and  the 
much  admired  singer  began  to  weep  bitterly. 
Then  Mendelssohn  came  up  to  her,  and  laying 
his  hand  gently  on  her  shoulder,  asked,  "  Why 
do  you  weep  ? — was  I  too  abrupt  ?  Kow  pray 
be  calm  again.  You  shall  have  a  song  for 
your  album  to  make  up  for  it,  and  to-morrow 
we  shall  no  doubt  sing  better." 

And  accordingly  she  received  from  him  a 
lovely   song,    with    the    subscription,    "  From 


180         KEMIXISCEXCES    OF    MEXDELSSOHN. 

your  very  great  and  sincere — perhaps  too  sin- 
cere— admi  rer. ' ' 

One  day  she  appeared  at  the  rehearsal  with 
long  curls,  instead  of  her  hair  being  smoothly 
dressed  as  usual.  She  was  at  once  conscious, 
by  his  glance,  that  something  in  her  displeased 
him,  for  he  was  rather  ungracious.  When  the 
rehearsal  was  over,  she  frankly  asked  him  the 
cause  of  his  being  out  of  humor.  "  Your  curls 
provoke  me,  Fraulein  Schloss,"  was  the  reply. 
"  "Wear  your  hair  smooth  ;  curls  ought  never 
to  be  black,  but  light,  brown,  or  fair !  " 

The  printed  list  of  Mendelssohn's  works  of 
that  date  is  as  follows : 

Music  for  (Edipus ;  Quintett  for  stringed 
instruments ;  five  organ  Sonatas ;  Songs  for 
one  voice  with  pianoforte,  and  Songs  without 
words  ;  Cantata  to  the  "  Sons  of  Art,"  for  the 
Coloo-ne  Festival;  a  Laiida  Sion  for  chorus, 

O  7 

solo,  and  orchestra  ;  Songs  for  four  male  voices ; 
Anthems  for  an  eight-part  chorus,  and  the  Ora- 
torio of  "Elijah."  The  text-book  of  the  lat- 
ter grand  work  of  Mendelssohn  is  compiled 
from  the  First  Book  of  Kings.  It  first  brings 


IX    LEIPZIli    ON'CK    MOKK.  181 

forward  Elijah's  prophecy  of  famine,  and  the 
lamentations  of  the  sufferers ;  then  the  journey 
of  the  Prophet ;  the  splendid  scene  between 
him  and  the  widow,  which  ends  with  the  revi- 
val of  the  child ;  the  destruction  of  the  priests 
of  Baal;  the  prayer  for  rain,  a  passage  of 
marvelous  effect ;  "  Behold !  there  ariseth  a 
little  cloud  out  of  the  sea,"  sung  by  a  tender 
b<  tyish  voice ;  the  opening  of  the  heavens,  and 
the  bursting  forth  of  the  waters.  The  second 
part  consists  of  the  persecution  and  flight  of 
Elijah  into  the  wilderness,  his  ascension  to 
heaven,  and  his  prediction  of  the  Messiah. 
Independent  of  the  effect  produced  by  the 
noble  choruses,  the  female  vocal  Trio,  without 
accompaniment,  "  Lift  up  thine  eyes !  "  has  a 
truly  magic  charm.  Gumprecht  beautifully 
says  of  this  last  grand  creation  of  Mendels- 
sohn's :  " '  St.  Paul '  was  the  work  of  a  youth 
of  five-and-twenty ;  whereas  in  the  "  Elijah," 
separated  by  a  space  of  ten  years  from  the 
former,  the  complete  man  stands  before  us,  of 
fully  matured  intellect,  whose  sole  object  now 
is,  by  his  artistic  productions,  to  repay  to  the 


182         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

world,  and  to  life,  what  they  formerly  bestowed 
on  him  in  inner  and  outer  impressions  and  ex- 
perience. The  voice  of  the  Prophet  is  indeed 
a  hammer  that  cleaves  rocks  asunder.  Han- 
del's triumphal  and  powerful  style  finds  here 
a  mighty  echo ;  and  not  less  does  the  spirit  of 
that  ancient  master  sweep  past  us  in  the  proud 
eagle  flight  of  the  choruses.'" 

During  the  last  winter  of  Mendelssohn's  ac- 
tive labors  in  the  concerts  of  the  Gewandhaus, 
the  apparition  of  Jenny  Lind  fell  like  a  ray 
of  light  in  the  chequered  world  of  pheno- 
mena. 

There  is  a  high  and  holy  band 
Whose  inspiration  needs  no  guide, 
No  ancestry  of  power  and  pride, 

To  lead  them  to  the  promised  land, 

says  Yoltaire.  And  such  a  being  was  the 
fair  Swede,  whose  youthful  history  Charlotte 
Birch-Pfeiffer  has  so  poetically  described. 
Even  when  still  a  child  of  three,  she  seemed 
the  lark  of  her  parents'  dusky  house  ;  as  a  girl 
of  nine,  she  attracted  the  attention  of  all  lovers 
of  music,  and  entered  the  Conservatorium  of 
Stockholm  as  a  pupil,  where  her  charming 


IN"    LKIl'/Iu    ONCE    MOliE.  183 

voice,  her  fine  ear,  her  marvelous  musical 
memory,  her  industry,  and  her  captivating 
modesty,  made  her  the  favorite  of  her  singing- 
muster — the  most  meritorious  of  musicians  and 
composers — Berg.  She  appeared  in  various 
childish  parts,  written  expressly  for  her,  and 
the  public  was  enchanted  with  the  silvery  tones 
that  streamed  from  the  lips  of  the  little  fairy. 
Probably  her  continuous  studies  at  so  tender 
an  age  was  the  cause  of  her  sudden  loss  of 
voice,  to  the  horror  of  her  teacher.  During 
four  long  years  did  Jenny  Lind,  with  astonish- 
ing perseverance,  pursue  her  theoretical  and 
technical  musical  studies  in  spite  of  her  organ 
being  almost  extinct ;  and  then  the  full  sweet 
sounds  came  back  almost  as  suddenly  as  they 
had  vanished.  Her  faithful  master  greeted 
with  delight  the  melting  tones  of  that  sweet 
voice  of  which  his  beloved  pupil  had  been  so 
long  deprived,  and  again  brought  her  for- 
ward in  triumph  before  the  astonished  public. 
She  appeared  as  Agathe,  in  Weber's  "  Freis- 
chiitz,"  amid  an  unparalleled  storm  of  applause 
and  delight.  But  theVe  burned  within  her 


184          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

soul  the  longing  to  ,learn  more,  to  hear  more  ; 
the  wings  of  this  great  artistic  soul  fluttered 
impatiently ;  the  limits  were  too  confined  ;  so 
Jenn}'-  Lind  went  to  Paris,  in  order  to  study 
with  Manuel  Garcia,  the  accomplished  brother 
of  Malibran  and  Pauline  Yiardot,  those  won- 
drous double  stars  in  the  firmament  of  vocal 
art.  The  severance  from  her  home,  the  fa- 
tigue of  the  journey,  and  a  feeling  of  isolation 
aifected  the  tender  organ  of  the  young  girl  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  celebrated  maestro, 
after  having  tried  the  voice  of  his  new  pupil, 
uttered  that  well-known  verdict,  "  Mon  en- 
fant•,  vous  n'avez  plus  de  voixf  Take  entire 
rest  for  three  months,  exercise  your  voice  with 
caution — et  puis  je  serai  charme  de  vous 
revoir  !  " 

A  quiet  tearful  year  ensued — a  year  of  hope- 
less study,  of  deepest  sorrow,  and  ardent  long- 
ing for  home.  After  the  lapse  of  three  months 
Jenny  Lind  began  to  study,  with  incompar- 
able energy,  under  the  direction  of  Garcia, 
day  by  day,  shedding  tears  on  her  pillow  at 
night,  and  dreaming  of  her  distant  home  ;  but, 


IX    LEIPZIG    ONCE    Mi'KK.  1S5 

amid  all  her  dreams,  she  seemed  always  to 
hear  that  pitiless  voice,  saying,  "  mon  enfant, 
vous  n'avez plus  de  voix  !  "  Like  the  young 
palm-tree,  however,  under  the  pressure  of  the 
heavy  rock,  which  every  one  thought  must 
have  crushed  it,  so  did  this  regal  talent  con- 
tinue to  shoot  upward  to  the  blue  sky,  under 
the  weight  of  home-sickness.  Still,  no  word 
of  praise  escaped  Garcia's  lips;  he  only  com- 
mended the  industry,  perseverance,  and  the 
facile  organ  of  his  pale,  quiet  pupil,  whose 
voice  appeared  to  him  irremediably  injured 
and  feeble.  Many  other  brilliant  vocal  tal- 
ents, too,  were  at  that  very  time  blooming  in 
his  parterre,  before  whose  glowing  tints  the 
delicate  water-lily  paled. 

It  was  reserved  for  a  grand  and  fervent 
artistic  soul  to  discover  her  value,  and  to  trans- 
port her  from  darkness  into  light.  Searching 
artistic  eyes  found  her  out ;  the  most  exquisite 
artistic  ear  felt  the  ineffable  magic  of  her 

o 

voice.  To  Giacomo  Meyerbeer  the  world  is 
indebted  for  the  gift  of  Jenny  Lind.  He 
heard  her  one  evening  sing  Alice's  Aria  in 


186          KEMIXIsCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

"Robert,"  "  Va,  va,  dit-elle,  mon  enfant!" 
and  was  deeply  moved.  ]Sro  other  voice  had 
ever  conveyed  this  sweet  and  tender  entreaty 
of  a  dying  mother  to  her  son  with  such  touch- 
ing fervor;  it  became  almost  a  prayer,  and 
the  composer  of  "  Robert "  felt  that  it  was 
tones  such  as  these  that  had  floated  in  his  soul 
when  he  wrote  down  that  "  last  greeting  from 
a  departing  soul." 

Jenny  Lind  now  returned  for  a  short  space 
to  her  northern  home  in  order  previously  to 
study  the  German  language  in  Dresden,  and 
to  prepare  in  entire  seclusion  for  her  first  ap- 
pearance in  Berlin. 

In  October,  1844,  she  made  her  dtbut  in  the 
Royal  Opera  House  as  "  Xorma,"  and  then  as 
Yielka,  in  Meyerbeer's  "  Feldlager,"  exciting 
a  degree  of  enthusiasm  quite  unparalleled  on 
those  boards  either  before  or  since. 

When  she  appeared  in  Leipzig,  on  December 
4,  1845,  the  concert  public  were  in  a  state  of 
feverish  excitement ;  and  when  at  length  she 
came  forward  on  the  raised  platform,  a  slender 
girlish  form  with  luxuriant  fair  hai-,  dressed 


IN    LEIPZIG    ONCE    1NIORE.  1ST 

in  pink  silk,  and  white  and  pink  camelias  on 
her  breast  and  in  her  hair,  in  all  the  chaste 
grace  of  her  deportment,  and  so  utterly  devoid 
of  all  pretension,  the  spell  was  dissolved,  and 
the  most  joyous  acclamations  ensued. 

Jenny  Lind  only  looked  beautiful  when  she 
sang,  and  also  in  the  portrait  done  of  her  by 
Magnus  in  Berlin,  now  in  the  possession  of 
Professor  Wichmann,  and  which  may  well  be 
called  a  glorified  one.  She  was  pale,  and  had  no 
freshness  of  complexion,  nor  were  her  features 
either  regular  or  in  any  way  remarkable.  Mu- 
sic alone,  and  nothing  else,  transfigured  her 
countenance  so  wonderfully ;  it  then  became 
actually  transparent,  the  soul  within  shining 
brightly  through  the  earthly  vail  in  the  most 
enchanting  manner. 

And  it  was  thus  she  sang,  on  that  evening 
in  the  Gewandhaus,  Bellini's  "  Casta  Diva," 
the  Duett  from  the  "  Montecchi  e  Capuletti," 
"  Se  fuggire,"  with  Miss  Dolby,  the  letter  Aria 
from  Mozart's  "  Don  Juan,"  and  two  of  Men- 
delssohn's songs,  "  Auf  Fliigeln  des  Gesanges," 
and  "Leise  zieht  durch  mein  Gemiith." 


188          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSS,U1N. 

I  cannot  remember  how  I  got  home  after 
that  concert;  I  only  know  that  I  trembled  and 
wept,  and  never  closed  my  eyes  all  night.  It 
was  not,  however,  the  "  Casta  Diva,"  with  all 
its  pearly  adornment  and  florid  graces,  not  the 
lovely  Giulietta,  nor  the  stately  Donna  Anna 
who  haunted  my  thoughts,  and  whom  I  seemed 
ever  to  hear  ;  it  was  exclusively  the  ineffably 
sweet,  ethereal,  almost  unearthly,  "  By  the 
first  rose  thou  hap'st  to  meet."  And  what 
must  Mendelssohn  have  felt,  who  was  seated  at 
the  piano,  accompanying  the  singer,  and  from 
whose  soul  this  lovely  flower  of  song  had  sprung. 

Next  day,  Jenny  Lind  gave  another  concert, 
this  time  for  the  benefit  of  the  Leipzig  Orches- 
tral Widows'  Fund.  She  sang  the  grand  Aria 
of  the  Countess  in  Mozart's  "  Figaro,"  "  E 
Susanna  non  vien,"  the  Freischiitz  Aria,  "  AVie 
niihte  mir  der  Schlummer,"  the  finale  of  "  Eury- 
anthe,"  "  Sehnenverlangen,"  and  some  Swe- 
dish airs.  Mendelssohn  played  his  G  minor 
Concerto,  and  the  sixth  "  Song  without  "Words," 
first  book.  I  thought  I  had  never  heard  him 
play  more  beautifully. 


IX    LEIPZIG    OXCE    MORE.  189 

Inexpressibly  touching  was  the  mournful 
"  Dove  sono  "  of  Jenny  Lind ;  how  chaste  and 
simple,  "Leise,  leise,  from  me  Weise,"  and 
how  inspiriting  the  joyous  words,  "  Alle  meine 
Pulse  schlagen ! "  And  the  roulades  of  the 
finale,  too,  were  enchanting,  and  the  high  C 
1  (right  as  a  sunbeam;  and  lovely  beyond  mea- 
sure her  native  melodies  ;  but  nothing  on  that 
evening  affected  me,  or  probably  ever  will  af- 
fect me  so  deeply  as  that  "  Leise  zieht  durch 
mein  Gemiith." 

At  the  close  of  this  concert  I  chanced,  in  the 
pressure  of  the  crowd,  to  be  close  to  Mendels- 
sohn ;  and  as  lie  had  always  a  kind  look  for  all 
in  any  way  connected  with  him,  he  remarked 
me,  and  said  with  a  smile,  "  So !  I  see  you  are 
quite  pale  from  actual  delight !  You  intend 
to  learn  to  sing  like  that,  too,  don't  you  ?  " 

At  a  later  date,  when  I  once  said  to  him, 
that,  since  hearing  Jenny  Lind,  I  should  like 
to  study  day  and  night,  he  eagerly  rejoined, 
"  Well  done  !  you  are  right !  the  soul  that 
feels  discouraged  in  the.  presence  of  real  great- 
ness will  never  become  thoroughly  artistic. 


190         REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

We  must  ever  strive  after  the  highest  aims, 
and  never  become  weary,  or  allow  our  wings 
idly  to  droop,  merely  because  others  have 
earlier  than  ourselves  attained  the  goal  to 
which  we  aspire  !  " 

It  was  after  that  concert,  too,  that  Mendels- 
sohn made  his  appearance  as  a  public  speaker, 
a?  we  learn  from  the  diary  of  an  eye-witness, 
to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  this  interesting 
account. 

Jenny  Lind,  who  was  staying  with  her  con- 
nections, the  Brockhaus  family,  had  received  a 
deputation  from  the  Directors  of  the  Gewand- 
haus  Concerts,  in  grateful  acknowledgment 
of  her  services,  followed  by  a  torch-light  ser- 
enade, as  a  tribute  to  the  admired  singer,  in 
which  so  large  a  portion  of  the  public  were 
interested,  that  the  spacious  court-yard  of  the 
Brockhaus  mansion  was  entirely  filled.  Web- 
er's "  Jubel  Ouverture  "  was  performed,  suc- 
ceeded by  various  songs.  Quite  perplexed  by 
this  ovation,  Jenny  Lind  asked  Mendelssohn 
what  she  ought  to  do  with  these  people ! 
Mendelssohn  advised  her  to  go  down  and 


IX    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MORE.  191 

thank  them  herself  in  a  few  words,  if  she 
wished  to  cause  real  pleasure  to  the  musicians. 
"Very  well,"  said  she,  after  a  pause,  "  I  will 
go  to  them,  but  you  must  accompany  me,  and 
speak  for  me." 

Mendelssohn  instantly  offered  her  his  arm, 
and  escorted  her  into  the  circle  of  performers, 
who  greeted  the  appearance  of  their  two  favor- 
ites together,  with  a  burst  of  applause.  Men- 
delssohn then  spoke  as  follows  : — "  Gentlemen  ! 
You  must  not  think  that  I  am  Mendelssohn, 
for  at  this  moment  I  am  Jenny  Lind,  and  as 
such  I  thank  you  from  my  heart  for  your  de- 
lightful surprise.  Having  now,  however,  ful- 
filled my  honorable  commission,  I  am  again 
transformed  into  the  Leipzig  Music-Director, 
and  in  that  capacity  I  say,  Long  live  Jenny 
Lind !  ! " 

A  thousandfold  echo  responded  to  this  call ; 
the  charming  and  ready  manner  in  which  he 
had  just  addressed  them,  exciting  the  most 
lively  enthusiasm,  however  eagerly  Fraulein 
Lind  protested  against  such  a  mode  of  fulfill- 
ing her  commission.  The  singers  dispersed  to 


192         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

the  strains  of  Mendelssohn's  "  Waldlied."      It 
was  a  memorable  scene. 

Jenny  Lind,  so  different  in  her  personality 
from  all  other  artists,  soon  became,  in  her 
girlish  modesty,  and  spotless  purity  and  disin- 
terestedness, a  kind  of  mythical  form  to  the 
public  at  large.  Fable  after  fable  was  related 
about  her,  and  at  length  it  would  scarcely  have 
seemed  marvelous  had  she  dissolved  into  mist 
before  all  eyes,  or  floated  away  like  her  own 
piano-pianissimo.  Some  maintained  that  she 
had  fallen  a  prey  to  everlasting  sorrow,  having 
lost  the  love  of  her  youth  by  death.  Others 
asserted  positively  that  she  had  been  betrothed 
to  a  young  village  pastor  in  Sweden,  who  had 
forsaken  her  when  she  went  on  the  stage. 
Some  declared,  still  more  confidently,  that  she 
had  refused  the  hands  of  various  princes,  and 
that  she  had  made  a  vow,  out  of  gratitude,  to 
become  the  wife  of  her  first  teacher  in  Stock- 
holm, etc.  In  fact,  the  most  incredible  things 
were  resorted  to,  in  order  to  explain  the  spell 
that  she  cast  over  all  who  heard  her.  Jenny 
Lind's  true  spell  consisted,  in  my  opinion,  in 


ix  Liai'/ic;  ONCE  MOKE.  193 

three  things:  in  the  perfection  of  her  technical 
culture — perfection  to  an  extent  that  caused 
the  most  finished  art  to  appear  the  most  finished 
nature  ;  in  the  soul  that  vibrated  in  her  tones ; 
and  in  the  charm  of  a  peculiar  voix  voilee  and 
inimitably  tender  organ.  Her  piano  was  a 
breath,  such  as  angelic  lips  might  breathe. 
Those  who  listened  to  her  felt  as  if  there  was 
something  holy  in  the  art  of  singing,  and  that 
this  "  Miidchen  aus  der  Fremde "  had  only 
come  among  us  to  proclaim  the  truth  to  the 
children  of  this  world.  I  never  heard  Jenny 
Li ncl  after  that  evening ;  but  every  time  I  think 
of  her,  there  rings  in  my  memory— 

By  the  first  rose  thou  hap'st  to  meet, 
Send  fondest  greetings  to  my  sweet. 

During  the  various  visits,  short  and  long,  of 
Mendelssohn  to  Berlin,  he  made  much  music 
with  Jenny  Lind.  They  also  met  at  Aix, 
during  the  Musical  Festival  there.  It  must 
have  been  a  matchless  intellectual  enjoyment 
to  both  to  listen  to  each  other,  and  to  feel, 
moreover,  that  they  were  journeying  on  the 
same  path,  mutually  cherishing  the  highest 


194:         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

ideal  of  Art  in  their  hearts,  and  that  they  looked 
upward  with  the  same  devout  earnestness  of 
purpose — identical  in  their  faith  in  the  Divin- 
ity of  Art. 

In  the  hospitable  house  of  Professor  Wich- 
mann,  in  Berlin,  Mendelssohn  was  in  the  habit 
of  meeting  Jenny  Lind,  and  accompanying 
her  songs.  There,  too,  concerts  on  a  grander 
scale  were  often  arranged,  and  attended  by  the 
highest  elite  of  the  Berlin  musical  world,  but 
far  more  frequently  confined  to  a  small  circle 
of  choice  spirits,  for  whom  Mendelssohn  ex- 
temporized, and  Jenny  Lind  sang  her  favorite 
songs  and  arias.  How  happy  were  those 
privileged  to  listen  !  These  two  artistic  souls 
were  in  perfect  harmony— they  completed  each 
other  so  wonderfully ;  his  own  musical  ideas,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  master  whom  he  revered 
the  most,  found  their  thorough  expression  by 
her  voice.  It  was  a  rare  combination  of  two 
innately  congenial  natures. 

I  believe  it  was  the  appearance  of  Jenny 
Lind  on  the  stage  that  once  more  powerfully 
revived  Mendelssohn's  ardent  wish  to  write  an 


IX    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MOKE.  195 

Opera  in  a  grand  style.  "What  an  attractive 
conception  to  compose  a  work  the  representa- 
tive of  which  should  be  this  noble  woman  and 
her  magic  voice ! 

Even  while  in  Diisseldorf,  Mendelssohn 
cherished  in  his  heart  a  longing  for  an  eifec- 
tive  opera-text,  and  at  that  time  alluded  to  a 
new  opera  composition  that  was  to  be  "  some- 
thing fresh  and  gay."  Subsequently,  to 
various  friends,  such  as  Devrient,  Holtei,  and 
Spohr,  both  verbally  and  in  writing,  he  la- 
mented his  difficulty :  "  I  would  so  gladly 
write  an  Opera,  but,  far  or  near,  I  neither  can 
find  a  text  nor  a  poet."  He  indeed  received 
from  all  sides  opera-texts,  grave  and  gay,  ro- 
mantic and  comic,  great  and  small,  but  not 
one  of  these  touched  his  heart.  At  length  he 
was  content  "  to  keep  quiet "  and  to  wait,  and 
only  to  sigh  in  secret  for  that  unknown  poet 
"  who  perhaps  lives  close  by  or  in  Timbuctoo 
— who  knows  ? "  sighed  he. 

That,  after  the  appearance  of  Jenny  Lind, 
he  kept  in  view  her  personality  and  gifts,  is 
proved  by  his  charming  letters  to  Frau  C. 


196         REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Birch-Pfeiffer,  in  which,  after  different  mate- 
rials for  Operas  have  been  suggested  to  him, 
from  the  Peasants'  "Wars  and  from  Arnim's 
"  Kronen wachter,"  he  urgently  bespeaks  a 
Genoveva  text.  On  this  occasion  his  rever- 
ence for  ancient  traditions  is  clearly  mani- 
fested ;  for  he  requests  the  amiable  poetess  not 
to  remodel  the  charming  old  legend,  and 
would  not  have  the  action  of  the  ancient  fable 
that  still  lives  so  vividly  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people  disturbed,  even  for  the  sake  of  the 
finest  stage  effects.  He  also  rejected  the 
poetical  death  of  Genoveva,  suggested  by  his 
friend.  "  It  would  certainly,"  said  he,  "  be 
much  finer ;  still  I  think  it  must  not  be,  be- 
cause contrary  to  the  sense  of  the  popular 
tale."  Unhappily,  the  fair  saint  was  destined 
to  dissolve  into  vapor  amid  the  solitude  of  the 
forest,  in  spite  of  the  many  serious  and  pleasant 
discussions  that  took  place  in  the  poet's  little 
study  in  45  Leipziger  Strasse,  Berlin,  while 
the  boughs  of  an  ancient  acacia  tree  tapped 
inquisitively  against  the  window,  as  if  resolved 
to  hear  something  of  what  was  going  on. 


IN    LEIPZIG   ONCE    MORE.  197 

However  minutely  they  discussed  the  char- 
acters of  the  weak  Count  Palatine  and  the 
demoniacal  Golo  and  all  the  interchange  of 

O 

ideas  between  the  poetess  and  the  musician, 
their  joint  and  charming  plan  was  never  car- 
ried out,  and  remained  a  mere  vision. 

It  was  at  that  very  time  that  Geibel,  who 
was  in  Berlin,  one  evening  after  the  perform- 
ance of  the  "Midsummer  Eight's  Dream," 
asked  Mendelssohn  why  he  had  never  written 
any  greater  Opera,  and  whether  he  intended 
to  write  one?  Mendelssohn  started  up  in  ex- 
cftement,  and,  looking  at  his  friend  with  flash- 
ing eyes,  exclaimed,  "  Give  me  a  text  that  I 
can  make  use  of,  and  I  will  get  up  at  four 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning,  and  begin  the 
composition." 

"Well,  then,  what  are  your  requirements 
for  such  a  text  ?  " 

"  Above  all,  it  must  have  a  definite  purpose, 
and  also  be  musical  and  thoroughly  dramatic," 
was  the  answer.  "  In  other  respects  I  would 
not  be  too  fastidious,  and  have  no  doubt  I 
could  adapt  myself  to  any  sphere.  The  '  Yes- 


198          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

talin,'  and  '  Jessonda,'  for  instance,  are  good 
libretti.  I  should  indeed  infinitely  prefer  a 
popular  German  subject — of  course  not  purely 
idyllic,  but  enlivened  by  strong  and  passionate 
conflicts.  Fairy  legends,  too,  would  be  accep- 
table under  certain  conditions.  There  is  a 
peculiar  charm  when  the  personages  in  front 
of  the  stage  act  and  sing,  while  in  the  back- 
ground the  elementary  powers — woods,  winds, 
and  waters — have  their  say  also." 

These  words  of  the  musician  fell  like  burn- 
ing sparks  on  the  poet's  soul,  and  when  Geibel 
quitted  Berlin  he  had  quite  resolved  to  com- 
pose a  libretto  worthy  of  such  a  master.  A 
summer  passed  in  magic  St.  Goar  on  the  Rhine 
produced  the  "  Lorelei."  But  she  did  not  ap- 
pear as  in  the  legend,  an  anomalous  being  be- 
tween a  demon  and  a  fairy,  but  as  a  lovely 
simple  mortal  child,  who,  infatuated  by  love, 
sorrow,  and  revenge,  falls  a  prey  to  the  de- 
moniac powers  by  her  own  act  and  deed,  and 
is  gradually  transformed  into  the  destructive 
enchantress  of  the  legend.  Tims  a  field  for 
dramatic  development  was  offered  by  this 


IN    LEIPZIG    OXCE   MOKK.  199 

character.  The  design  of  the  Opera  was  now 
lightly  and  gracefully  constructed  by  the  fancy 
of  the  poet;  and  when  Geibel  again  met  Men- 
delssohn in  Berlin,  in  184:6,  he  could  already 
sketch  for  him  outlines  of  what  the  work  was 
to  be  as  a  whole.  Mendelssohn  accepted  the 
subject  with  lively  satisfaction,  and  the  lead- 
ing conception  exceedingly  delighted  him ; 
although  in  some  particulars,  partly  from  mu- 
sical grounds  and  also  in  the  interest  of  the 
stage  effect,  he  wished  a  great  many  alterations 
to  be  made.  Regular  meetings  were  arranged, 
and,  eagerly  exchanging  ideas,  they  endeavored 
mutually  to  construct  a  new  book.  Mendels- 
sohn signified  in  a  general  way  his  wishes  and 
requirements,  while  the  poet's  eye  and  the 
poet's  hand  strove  to  shape  a  concrete  form  in 
accordance  with  them. 

Unhappily,  only  a  few  weeks  were  granted 
them  for  this  important  work;  and  when  the 
hour  of  parting  came  for  the  friends,  not  one- 
half  of  their  task  had  been  accomplished,  and 
the  closest  correspondence  could  but  faintly 
supply  personal  intercourse.  How  slowly  in 


200         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN". 

this  way  were  wound  up.  those  minute  discus- 
sions on  the  development  of  individual  dramatic 
threads ! — what  an  accumulation  of  scruples, 
suggestions,  and  counter  -  suggestions  !  Xot 
till  the  ensuing  spring  were  they  so  far  in  ac- 
cord about  the  inner  structure  of  the  piece, 
that  Geibel  could  commence  its  accomplish- 
ment in  earnest.  In  order  to  be  near  the  be- 
loved master,  and  to  work  as  much  as  possible 
in  seclusion,  Geibel  first  went  to  Altenburg, 
and  thence  to  Dresden.  From  there  he 
brought  to  him  at  Leipzig  each  act  as  it  was 
finished.  "With  heartfelt  delight  Mendelssohn 
saw  the  progress  of  the  work,  and  always  re- 
ceived the  welcome  poet  with  the  utmost  kind- 
ness. Their  usual  practice  was  to  work  to- 
gether in  the  forenoon,  to  read  and  criticize 
what  had  been  recently  written,  and  then  to 
stroll  up  and  down  the  garden  behind  the 
house,  dining  in  a  happy  family  circle,  and 
having  music  with  their  friends  in  the  evening. 
David  was  sure  to  be  there,  inquiring  play- 
fully after  "  Friiulein  Lorelei ;  "  Gade  likewise 
asked  about  the  fair  enchantress  ;  Fran  Livia 


IN    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MORE.  201 

Frege  sang  ;  Frau  von  cler  Pfordten  played ; 
Jenny  Lind,  too,  sometimes  made  her  appear- 
ance, and  in  that  lively  circle  the  parts  of  the 
coming  Opera  were  distributed. 

But  she,  too,  the  bewitching  "  Lorelei,"  was 
not  destined  to  emerge  from  the  floods  wrap- 
ped in  the  silvery  vail  of  Mendelssohn's  mu- 
sic ;  the  glorious  work  remained  a  fragment ; 
and  deep  sorrow  steals  over  our  hearts  when 
we  read  this  wondrously  fine  poem,  which 
seems  to  gaze  at  us  with  eyes  of  the  most  pro- 
found melancholy,  softly  wailing,  woe  !  woe! 

Alas  !  it  was  but  a  short  time  that  the  inde- 
fatigable master  was  still  to  work  and  to 
create ;  the  shades  of  that  night  "  when  no 
man  can  work "  were  gathering  nearer  and 
nearer.  AVhile  all  who  loved  and  honored 
him  believed  so  firmly  and  surely  in  a  long 
life  for  the  revered  master,  he  himself  forebod- 
ingly sang, 

The  rapid  hours  urge  on  the  flight  of  spring. 

Jenny  Lind  and  Mendelssohn  took  leave  of 
each  other  at  Aix  with  the  usual  phrase — Au 
Devoir  ! 


202          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

He  bad  resolved  to  direct  his  "  Elijah  "  in 
Vienna,  and  Jenny  Lind  \vas  to  take  the  so- 
prano part.  With  what  delight  and  devotion 
did  she  study  her  glorious  task,  and  with  what 
joyous  expectations  did  the  composer  himself 
look  forward  to  the  performance,  preparations 
for  which  were  being  made  on  the  grandest 
scale  in  Vienna!  But  never  more  on  earth 
was  he  to  hear  that  wondrous  voice  which  bad 
so  often  enchanted  him. ! 

Mendelssohn  was  detained  from  Leipzig  in 
the  spring  of  1847,  by  journeys  to  various  great 
musical  festivals  ;  he  directed  his  "  Elijah  "  in 
Birmingham,  amid  the  most  enthusiastic  ap- 
plause. There  were  four  encores  in  the  first 
part,  and  an  equal  number  in  the  second ;  a 
vehement  and  unanimous  call  ensued  for  the 
composer  at  the  close,  and  the  audience  showed 
a  rapture  of  delight.  And  thus  it  was  that 
this  splendid  Oratorio  made  its  triumphal  en- 
trance into  England. 

A  letter  from  Mendelssohn  to  his  brother 
Paul  describes  the  performance  in  his  owi. 
lively  and  genial  manner  as  follows : — 


ix  LEIPZIG  oxer  MORE. 

"  From  the  very  first  you  took  so  kind  an  in- 
terest in  my  '  Elijah,'  and  thus  inspired  me  with 
so  much  energy  and  courage  for  its  completion, 
that  I  must  write  to  tell  you  of  its  first  per- 
formance yesterday.  No  work  of  mine  ever 
went  so  admirably  the  first  time  of  execution, 
or  was  received  with  such  enthusiasm  by  both 
the  musicians  and  the  audience,  as  the  Orato- 
rio. It  was  quite  evident  at  the  first  rehearsal 
in  London  that  they  liked  it.  and  liked  to  sing 
and  to  play  it ;  but  I  own  I  was  far  from  an- 
ticipating that  it  would  acquire  such  fresh 
vigor  and  impetus  at  the  performance.  Had 
you  only  been  there.  During  the  whole  two 
hours  and  a  half  that  it  lasted,  the  two  thou- 
sand people  in  the  large  hall,  and  the  large 
orchestra,  were  all  so  fully  intent  on  the  one 
object  in  question,  that  not  the  slightest  sound 
was  to  be  heard  amons  the  whole  audience,  so 

o  i 

that  I  could  sway  at  pleasure  the  enormous 
orchestra  and  choir,  and  also  the  organ  accom- 
paniments. How  often  I  thought  of  you  dur- 
ing the  time  !  More  especially,  however,  when 
the  '  sound  of  abundance  of  rain '  came,  and 


204         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

when  they  sang  and  played  the  final  chorus 
with  furore,  and  when,  after  the  close  of  the 
first  part,  we  were  obliged  to  repeat  the 
whole  movement.  Kot  less  than  four  choruses 
and  four  airs  were  encored,  and  not  one  single 
mistake  occurred  in  the  whole  of  the  first  part ; 
there  were  some  afterward  in  the  second  pait, 
but  even  these  were  but  trifling.  A  young 
English  tenor  sang  the  last  Air  with  such  won- 
derful sweetness,  that  I  was  obliged  to  collect 
all  my  energies  not  to  be  affected,  and  to  con- 
tinue beating  time  steadily.  As  I  said  before, 
had  you  only  been  there  !  " 

At  this  same  music  meeting,  Mendelssohn 
gave  another  of  the  numerous  proofs  of  his 
musical  readiness.  On  one  of  the  days  of  this 
festival,  an  anthem  of  Handel's  was  to  be  per- 
formed. The  concert  had  already  fairly  be- 
gun, when  it  was  discovered  that  the  recitative 
which  preceded  the  Coronation  Anthem  was 
missing,  but  properly  marked  in  the  text- 
books. One  whispered  the  fact  to  another; 
the  musicians  were  in  a  state  of  alarm,  the 
directors  of  the  festival  in  despair.  They  bur- 


IN    LEIPZIG    ONCE    MORE.  205 

ried  off  to  Mendelssohn,  who  was  in  an  ante- 
room, endeavoring  to  recover  from  the  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day,  and  lamented  to  him  the 
sudden  and  unforeseen  difficulty.  He  tran- 
quillized these  excited  individuals  in  his  usual 
amiable  manner,  desiring  that  writing  mate- 
rials and  music-paper  should  be  brought  to 
him  at  once ;  and  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour 
wrote  out  the  recitative  and  the  orchestral 
parts.  He  found  plenty  of  hands  to  transcribe 
what  he  had  written  ;  the  parts,  still  wet,  were 
distributed,  and — iheprima  vista  performance 
M-;VS  faultless. 

A  few  days  afterward,  Mendelssohn  directed 
his  "Elijah"  in  London,  at  Exeter  Hall,  with 
equal  success ;  and  Prince  Albert,  that  noble 
patron  and  connoisseur  of  art,  wrote  the  follow- 
ing words  on  the  text-book  he  held  in  his  hand 
during  the  performance,  and  which  he  sent  to 
the  composer: — 

"  To  the  noble  artist  who,  though  encom- 
passed by  the  Baal-worship  of  false  art,  by  his 
genius  and  study  has  succeeded,  like  another 
Elijah,  in  faithfully  preserving  the  worship  of 


206          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

true  art ;  once  more  habituating  the  ear,  amid 
the  giddy  whirl  of  empty,  frivolous  sound,  to 
the  pure  tones  of  sympathetic  feeling  and  legiti- 
mate harmony ; — to  the  great  master  who,  by 
the  tranquil  current  of  his  thoughts,  reveals  to 
us  the  gentle  whisperings,  as  well  as  the 
mighty  strife  of  the  elements, — to  him  is  this 
written  in  grateful  remembrance,  by 

"  ALBERT." 
"BuckinyJiam  Palace." 

It  is  well  known  how  highly  the  Queen  of 
England  esteemed  the  German  composer,  and 
how  graciously  she  treated  him.  She  received 
him  in  her  most  intimate  circle,  and  caused 
her  pet  birds  to  be  carried  out  of  the  music- 
room  to  prevent  their  singing  while  Mendels- 
sohn was  playing.  She  requested  him,  in  the 
most  amiable  manner,  to  play  some  of  his  own 
compositions,  and  herself  sang  some  of  his 
songs.  With  an  engaging  smile,  she  expressed 
her  dissatisfaction  with  her  own  performance, 
appealing  playfully  to  her  teacher,  Lablache, 
who,  she  said,  could  vouch  for  her  sometimes 
singing  very  tolerably;  but  she  felt  timid 


IX    LEIPZIG   OXCE   MOKE.  207 

before  him — the  composer  of  all  those  beauti- 
ful things.  While  Mendelssohn  M~;IS  playing, 
she  sat  beside  him  at  the  piano,  watching  his 
hands.  He  played  a  great  deal  on  that  even- 
ing, in  the  music-room  of  the  august  hidy,  and 
writes  to  his  mother  that  it  was  a  delight  to 
play  all  that  "the  pretty  and  most  charming 
Queen  Victoria  wished  to  hear,  who  looks  so 
youthful,  and  is  so  gently  courteous  and  gra- 
cious, who  speaks  such  good  German,  and 
knows  all  my  music  so  well."  She  was  never 
weary  of  asking,  so  he  played  seven  of  his 
"  Songs  without  Words "  and  the  Serenade, 
and  concluded  by  twice  extemporizing. 

After  the  first  performance  of  the  "  Elijah," 
Mendelssohn  returned  to  Leipzig,  and  writes 
that  he  had  been  obliged  to  remodel  some 
passages  in  the  "  Elijah  "  that  had  given  him 
no  small  trouble.  He  was  harassed,  too,  at 
that  time,  by  anxiety  about  a  faithful  old  ser- 
vant— a  fresh  proof  of  his  warm  heart.  The 
worthy  Johann,  who  had  accompanied  him  on 
his  Swiss  journey,  and  was  so  beloved  by  the 
children,  was  now  prostrated  by  mortal  sick- 


208         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

ness ;  and  it  is  touching  to  read  in  his  letter  : 
"  I  am  often,  too,  in  no  happy  mood,  for  poor 
Johann  is  very  seriously  ill,  and  causes  us 
really  very  great  anxiety.  '  May  I  be  so  bold 
as  to  ask  who  is  to  play  the  part  of  the  ser- 
vant ? '  says  Gothe,  and  lately  these  words  often 
recurred  to  me.  May  God  soon  restore  the 
poor  faithful  fellow  !  "  But  the  attached  Jo- 
hann died,  deeply  lamented  by  his  master,  for 
whom  he  left  a  letter  and  his  last  will,  of  which 
Mendelssohn  writes  to  Klingemann,  "  I  must 
show  you  this  the  next  time  we  meet.  No 
man,  no  poet  indeed,  could  have  written  any- 
thing more  heartfelt,  earnest,  and  touching." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

EXCURSIONS. 

Sail  on  !  sail  on !  'tis  not  for  me 
To  question  where  the  port  may  be  ! 

MEXDELSSOHN,  when  traveling,  was  ever  like 
a  merry  bird  escaped  from  his  cage,  who 
spreads  his  wings  and  enjoys  his  golden  free- 
dom. He  was  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
truth  of  the  poet's  words  : — 

Whom  God  would  bless  for  evermore, 
He  casteth  on  Life's  stormy  shore; 

and  he  saw  and  enjoyed  everything  that  was 
to  be  seen,  in  all  its  fullness  and  with  clear  per- 
ceptions. In  addition  to  every  other  gift,  he 
possessed  that  invaluable  one — to  see  all  things 
with  an  eye  of  love.  His  letters,  while  travel- 
ing in  Italy  and  Switzerland,  sufficiently  prove 
this,  and  at  Frankfort  he  was  always  jas  gay  as 
a  child.  Paris  alone  he  seems  to  have  found 
less  sympathetic,  and  we  learn  from  these  let- 
ters that  he  never  stayed  long  there.  One  day 

he  left  Paris  for  Aix.  where  he  was  expected. 

7* 


210         KEMIXISCEXCES    OF   MEXDELSSOHN. 

When  at  the  small  frontier  station  of  Her- 
besthal,  the  passport  of  the  traveler  was  de- 
manded. He  had  no  passport.  "  I  am  Men- 
delssohn," was  his  simple  answer  to  the  indig- 
nant inspector  of  passports,  who  stalked  up  to 
him  in  all  the  consciousness  of  his  rights. 
"  Mendelssohn  !  "  repeated  the  executor  of  the 
law,  "  I  am  no  wiser  than  I  was  before.  I  de- 
mand your  passport."  "  "Well,  I  am  Kapell- 
meister Mendelssohn,  or  I  may  say  General 
Music  -  Director  of  the  King  of  Prussia." 
"  Any  one  can  say  that !  you  must  remain 
here."  !No  remonstrances  availed ;  the  Hen* 
General  Music-Director  was  actually  forced  to 
stay  in  Herbesthal,  and  on  a  very  dismal  rainy 
day  too,  as  an  eye-witness  of  the  incident  re- 
lates. Telegraph-posts  were  not  yet  erected 
in  those  days,  so  Mendelssohn  was  obliged  to 
content  himself  by  intrusting  the  guard  of 
the  train  •with  a  few  lines  to  a  friend  in  Aix, 
begging  him  to  repair  to  Herbesthal  with  all 
speed  for  the  purpose  of  identifying  and  releas- 
ing a  captive  musician.  Meanwhile  he  took 
up  his  quarters  patiently  in  the  best  inn  in  the 


EXCURSIONS.  211 

small  town,  which  he  found  to  be  a  most  mel- 
ancholy asylum,  with  red-flowered  curtains, 
and  a  desolate  room  filled  with  the  odor  of 
stale  tobacco.  The  boots  and  the  girl  of  the 
inn  looked  with  astonishment  at  the  well-bred 
guest  without  any  luggage,  who  was  so  quiet, 
and  did  not  seem  to  think  it  necessary  to  pro- 
claim his  presence  to  the  whole  house  by 
incessant  ringing  of  bells.  A  long  time  must 
still  elapse  before  the  arrival  of  the  next  train. 
The  rain  pattered  down  unremittingly ;  and 
even  in  fine  weather  the  market-place  of 
Herbesthal  is  by  no  means  so  interesting  an 
object  as  the  Linden-Allee  in  Berlin.  The 
drops  trickled  noiselessly  to  the  ground  through 
the  foliage  of  an  old  chestnut-tree  before  the 
house,  collecting  in  a  dark  pool,  which  seemed 
to  form  an  object  of  the  most  lively  interest 
to  geese,  dogs,  and  children  by  turns,  judging 
from  their  different  modes  of  endeavoring  to 
fathom  its  depth  ;  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
way,  before  the  smithy,  stood  a  weary-looking, 
worn-out  old  horse,  allowing  the  rain  to  pour 
down  on  him  with  a  patience  worthy  of  admi- 


212         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

ration,  and  not  attempting  to  stir ;  at  intervals 
a  maid  in  sabots  clattered  by,  her  dress  tucked 
up ;  or  a  wagoner  in  a  blue  smock-frock  floun- 
dered past.  Such  was  the  view  from  the  inn 
window  which  that  day  rejoiced  the  eyes  of 
the  composer  of  "  St.  Paul "  at  Herbesthal. 

Suddenly,  from  a  short  distance,  the  sounds 
of  an  old  piano  were  heard,  the  notes  feeble 
but  in  tune,  and  a  charming  girlish  voice  began 
to  sing,  "  On  song's  bright  pinions."  What 
mattered  now  the  rainy  day  and  all  Herbes- 
thal ?  This  was  sunshine,  filling  the  miserable 
little  room  with  brightness  and  warmth.  The 
banks  of  the  Ganges  river  loomed  before  him, 
where,  as  Heinrich  Heine  in  that  song  tells  us, 
gentle  and  innocent  gazelles  lightly  bound, 
where  violets  nestle  and  peep  at  the  stars,  and 
where  roses  whisper  soft  love-tales.  The  youth- 
ful singer  had  indeed  little  idea  of  who  was 
thus  borne  aloft  on  the  "  *  bright  pinions '  of 
her  song." 

Whether  she  is  still  living,  I  know  not,  but  I 
should  like  to  have  heard  from  herself,  her 
feelings,  when  the  composer  of  the  beautiful 


EXCURSIONS.  213 

air  thanked  her  courteously  for  her  simple, 
charming  singing,  and  when  his  friends  arrived 
from  Aix  to  fetch  him  in  triumph  and  to  carry 
him  off  with  them,  and  finally  when  he  sat 
down  at  the  shabby  old  piano,  and,  as  a  fare- 
well, in  presence  of  the  whole  astonished  family, 
extemporized  on  the  theme,  "  On  song's  bright 
pinions."  Without,  the  rain  still  poured  down  ; 
but  the  fair  young  daughter  of  the  innkeeper, 
who  had  retreated  shyly  into  a  recess  of  the 
window,  her  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the  player, 
must  have  seen  bright  blue  sky  above  her ;  and 
in  the  aftercourse  of  every  -  day  life,  amid 
Heaven  knows  what  cares  and  sorrows,  when 
she  recalls  that  day,  surely  she  must  once  more 
see  a  bit  of  bright  azure  sky  overhead. 

Mendelssohn  appears  to  have  been  always 
particularly  happy  in  England,  and  his  letters 
are  full  of  sunny  reminiscences  of  that  island 
so  beloved  by  him.  Mendelssohn's  friendship 
with  Klingeinann  in  London,  like  all  the  most 
heartfelt  ties  of  the  kind,  first  took  root  in  the 
days  of  their  youth,  when  Klingemann  was  very 
intimate  with  Mendelssohn's  family  in  Berlin. 


214:         REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

Ferdinand  Killer's  attractive  pen  has  fur- 
nished an  eloquent  memorial  to  this  noble 
artistic  nature  in  a  charming  book  of  his,  re- 
cently published,  "  A  us  dem  Tonleben  unserer 
Zeit."  His  article  on  the  death  of  Klingemann 
appeared  in  the  "  Kolnischer  Zeitung  "  immedi- 
ately after  his  death— Sept.  25,  1862.  "  The 
deceased,"  writes  Hiller,  "belonged  to  that 
thinly-sown,  chosen  order  of  men,  who  assume 
a  prominent  place  in  society,  and  combine 
the  most  refined  and  solid  culture,  nobility  of 
thought,  and  self-sacrificing  amiability  in  social 
life,  with  the  most  productive  talent." 

I  myself  recently  saw  a  portrait  of  Klinge- 
mann, taken  from  that  by  Professor  Hensel— 
a  most  striking  and  intellectual  head,  with 
genuine  poet's  eyes,  and  a  grand  forehead. 

Karl  Klingemann  was  Secretary  to  the 
Hanoverian  Embassy  in  Berlin  till  1821,  when 
he  went  to  London  to  fill  a  similar  position  for 
more  than  thirty  years.  His  poetical  soul,  his 
enthusiasm  for  music,  as  well  as  his  profound 
knowledge  of  that  art,  gave  rise  to  a  fervent 
friendship  between  him  and  Mendelssohn — a 


EXCURSIONS.  215 

bright  bond  only  severed  by  death.  From 
first  to  last,  Mendelssohn  attached  the  highest 

7  O 

value  to  Klingemann's  judgment,  and  the  cor- 
respondence of  the  two  devoted  friends  is  a 
treasure  that  still  rests  in  the  hands  of  his 
widow.  From  the  year  1828,  to  1847,  154 
letters  are  deposited  in  the  shrine  of  relics  be- 
longing to  the  amiable  bereaved  Fran  Sophie 
Ivlingemann,  whose  heart  finds  its  sole  con- 
solation in  the  memories  of  a  happy  past, 
in  all  its  rare  beauty  and  harmony.  What  a 
casket  of  gems  !  In  addition  to  these  precious 
letters  are  some  enchanting  poems,  many  of 
which  are  on  all  lips,  through  the  medium  of 
Mendelssohn's  music.  Books  of  songs  com- 
posed by  Klingemann,  and  the  poetry  also 
partly  written  by  him,  were  published  by 
Breitkopf  &  Hartel.  We  find  also  the  most 
beautiful  pencil  sketches  by  the  hand  of  Men- 
delssohn, and,  as  a  curiosity,  a  gigantic  letter 
of  thanks,  written  on  a  huge  sheet  of  paper  by 
each  member  of  the  Mendelssohn  family  (with 
the  exception  of  Paul),  immediately  after  the 
performance  of  the  Operetta  "  Die  Heimkehr 


216          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

aus  der  Fremde,"  the  poetry  of  which  was 
written  by  Klingemann,  and  the  music  by 
Felix,  in  honor  of  the  "  silver  wedding-day  " 
of  his  parents.  One  after  another,  notable 
hands,  large  and  small,  are  sketched  uplifted 
in  gratitude  to  narrate  and  describe.  Felix 
leads  the  way  with  a  motto  taken  from  the 
Operetta — 

Lieschen  was  a  charming  child, 
And  never  told  a  lie. 

Then  the  mother  writes  in  her  wonderfully 
clear  correct  characters,  succeeded  by  Fanny 
and  Rebecca,  and  finally  by  the  father,  and 
Felix  writes  the  conclusion.  All  those  hands 
now  rest  for  ever,  and  he  to  whom  this  pre- 
cious letter  was  addressed,  rests  also,  while  the 
poor  fragile  paper  lies  before  my  eyes  unin- 
jured, destined  to  survive  so  much  excellence. 
Karl  Klingemann  formed  one  of  the  audience 
at  Diisseldorf  at  the  first  performance  of  "  St. 
Paul"  there,  and  wrote  at  the  time  an  enthu- 
siastic letter  in  English  to  a  friend  of  his  in 
London,  Mr.  Horsley,  to  whose  house  he  at 
once  brought  Mendelssohn  when  he  came  to 


EXCURSIONS.  217 

England.  It  was  in  the  year  1829  that  the 
two  friends  undertook  that  interesting  journey 
to  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  that  gave  rise  to 
the  most  charming  diary  that  perhaps  was  evei 
kept  by  two  pilgrims.  Mendelssohn  sketched 
the  different  points  of  view,  and  Klingemann 
wrote  three  poetical  illustrations  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  leaves. 

The  first  sketch  represents  the  bachelor 
quarters  of  the  London  Hanoverian  Secretary, 
Karl  Klingemann,  on  the  evening  before  the 
journey.  It  is  quite  a  chequered  scene.  Open 
traveling-bags  lie  scattered  about  on  chairs 
and  on  the  floor,  while  the  tables  are  strewn 
with  various  toilet  appliances,  intermixed 
with  bonks,  maps,  and  provisions — among  the 
latter  of  which  a  large  Cheshire  cheese  and  a 
bottle  of  porter  are  conspicuous.  In  the  midst 
of  this  chaos  stands  a  vase  of  flowers  most 
charmingly  poetical.  The  window  stands 
wide  open  and  beyond  the  roofs  of  houses 
and  past  high  steeples,  the  view  is  lost  in 
the  blue  distance.  Klingemann  wrote  as  fol- 
lows: 


218         REMINISCENCES   OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

"  June  27, 1829. 

Here  is  the  Present — all  our  own  ! 
And  yet  she  cometh  strangely  vailed, 
As  though  her  wonted  courage  failed— 

As  if  unwilling  to  be  known. 

The  Present  like  the  Future  seems— 

That  dread  uncalculated  sum — 

And  things  in  distant  years  to  come 
Are  looming  through  the  spring  sunbeams." 

And  now  for  the  journey  itself.  The  most 
inimitable  humor,  combined  with  the  most 
profound  earnestness;  all  sorts  of  amusing 
adventures  on  rainy  days  in  wretched  inns ; 
water-parties  with  obbligato  chattering  of  teeth, 
and  admiration  in  turn  of  the  splendors  of  na- 
ture on  so  wild  and  grand  a  scale,  as  well  as  of 
the  structures  of  men's  hands,  ivy-covered  ab- 
beys, and  ancient  cathedrals.  One  page  with 
a  sketch  of  Edinburgh  and  its  watery  girdle  is 
of  such  vast  beauty  that  I  could  scarcely  turn 
my  eyes  from  it. 

In  after  years  the  slightest  reminiscence  of 
this  Scotch  tour  awakened  the  most  sunny 
cheerfulness  in  Mendelssohn's  heart,  while 
Klingemann  also  to  the  day  of  his  death  inva- 
riably alluded  with  the  most  grateful  delight 
to  this  true  and  genuine  "  spring-time." 


EXCURSIONS.  219 

Mendelssohn  quickly  found  himself  at  home 
with  the  Horsley  family  in  London.  There  he 
met  with  the  true  comfort  of  an  English  gen- 
tleman's family;  and  it  is  well  known  that 
Mendelssohn  was  very  susceptible  to  the  charm 
of  a  well-regulated  household,  like  that  of  his 
parental  home.  Three  charming  daughters 
glided  like  the  Graces  through  the  elegant 
rooms — Mary,  Fanny,  and  Sophy.  The  heart 
of  the  youthful  German  musician  must  have 
beat  with  excitement  in  t!  e  constant  presence 
and  familiar  conversation  of  these  fascinating 
creatures,  so  highly  gifted  and  carefully  edu- 
cated, and  full  of  enthusiasm  for  the  marvel- 
ous genius  of  Mendelssohn.  Felix  always 
called  the  eldest  daughter,  for  whom  he  had 
the  most  lively  admiration,  "  the  lovely  Mary," 
and  report  says  she  was  a  truly  regal-looking 
beauty.  Subsequently  she  married  the  cele- 
brated engineer  Brunei.  Fanny,  who  became 
Mrs.  Thomson,  and,  after  a  few  short  years 
of  conjugal  happiness,  sank  into  the  grave,  ap- 
peared almost  insignificant  beside  her  more 
brilliant  sister,  like  the  lily  of  the  valley  beside 


220          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

the  rose ;  but  her  sweet  face,  her  intellect  and 
grace,  attracted  every  visitor  in  her  father's 
house  ;  while  the  youngest,  at  that  time  almost 
a  child,  exhibited  extraordinary  musical  endow- 
ments, in  the  cultivation  of  which  Mendelssohn 
took  the  warmest  interest.  How  many  a  dear 
German  friend  Mendelssohn  introduced  by  let- 
ter to  this  hospitable  family  ;  and  in  the  year 
1844,  Klingemann  presented  to  them  a  youth, 
whom  Mendelssohn  had  sent  to  him,  with  the 
folio  win  o;  letter  : — 

o 

BERLIN,  March  10,  1844. 

"  MT  BELOVED  FRIEND  :  I  wish  to  make  you 
acquainted  by  these  lines  with  a  lad  who,  dur- 
ing the  three-quarters  of  a  year  that  I  have 
known  him,  has  become  very  dear  to  my  heart, 
and  who  has  gained  my  love  and  high  esteem 
to  a  degree  that  1  may  say  I  have  latterly  ex- 
perienced for  very  few.  His  name  is  Joseph 
Joachim,  a  boy  of  thirteen  years  of  age,  from 
Pesth,  in  Hungary.  He  intends  to  pay  a  visit 
of  some  months  to  his  uncle  Figdor,  a  London 
merchant.  I  cannot  say  enough  to  you  of  his 
truly  wonderful  talent  for  the  violin.  You 


EXCURSIONS.  221 

must  first,  however,  hear  him  yourself,  and  the 
manner  in  which  he  can  play  all  possible  solos, 
both  of  the  past  and  the  present,  and  decipher 
and  interpret  every  kind  of  music,  in  order  to 
place  him  as  high  as  I  do,  and  to  anticipate 
the  glorious  results  which  must  accrue  to  art 
through  him.  He  is,  moreover,  sound  at 
heart,  an  admirable,  well-educated,  thoroughly 
genuine,  shrewd  lad,  of  great  good  sense,  and 
the  strictest  integrity.  Be  kind,  therefore,  to 
him  ;  take  some  charge  of  him  in  great  London, 
and -present  him  to  those  of  our  acquaintances 
who  know  how  to  appreciate  such  glorious  tal- 
ent as  his,  and  from  whom  he  can  in  turn  de- 
rive pleasure  and  improvement.  I  here  allude 
principally  to  the  Plorsleys.  Take  him  to 
Choi-ley's,  also,  if  you  can,  and,  above  all, 
remember  that  any  kindness  you  show  to  him, 
you  show  also  to  me.  May  we  soon,  God 
willing,  have  a  happy  meeting !  When  spring 
arrives,  I  hope  also  to  come  to  you. 

"Your  FELIX." 

It  was,  during  a  visit  to  the  Horsleys,  in  the 
year  1846,  that  a  charming  German  girl,  So- 


222         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

phie  Rosen,  from  Detmold,  (afterward  Klinge- 
mann's  wife),  first  saw  Felix  Mendelssohn,  and 
received  that  powerful  conviction  of  that  noble 
artist's  impressible  and  impressive  personality, 
which  so  many  hearts  had  previously  experi- 
enced, and  which  so  many  were  still  to  experi- 
ence. He  addressed  her  with  all  the  magic 
charm  of  his  graceful  courtesy,  for  her  brother, 
the  intellectual  Orientalist,  Friedrich  Rosen, 
was  one  of  the  most  intimate  London  friends 
both  ot'Klingemann  and  Mendelssohn.  They 
were  called  the  German  trefoil^  so  constantly 
were  they  to  be  seen  together ;  and  how  gay, 
yet  how  grave,  were  they  when  together !  At 
one  moment,  in  the  most  eager  excitement, 
poring  over  all  sorts  of  strange  old.  Indian 
MSS.,  which  the  young  scholar  deciphered  and 
explained  to  his  friends,  or  plunged  deep  into 
discussions  about  life  and  art,  immortality  and 
music ;  and  in  the  next,  jesting  and  laughing 
like  children. 

One  day  Felix  and  Klingemann  left  a  highly 
original  invitation  at  Rosen's  house,  on  not 
finding  him  at  home,  asking  him  to  dinner  on 


EXCURSIONS.  223 

the  following  day.  The  large  page  is  written 
double — that  is,  Mendelssohn  wrote  one  line, 
Klingemann  the  next,  and  so  on,  only  the 
writing  of  the  one  was  to  be  read  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom  of  the  page,  and  the  other 
the  reverse  way ;  while  the  one  appears  quite 
legible,  the  other  stands  on  its  head,  and  vice 
versa,  each  going  its  own  way,  so  that  it  is 
quite  a  piece  of  labor  to  decipher  the  page 
filled  with  the  most  brilliant  wit.  The  close 
of  the  page  is,  "  Do  come — be  hungry,  agree- 
able, and  yourself."  At  the  end  is  the  follow- 
ing notice,  "  Tournez,  s'il  vous  pleut"  with  a 
neatly  executed  sketch  of  a  spread  umbrella. 
The  whole  is  carefully  placed  in  an  envelop, 
addressed  and  marked  as  "  A  valuable  Indian 
Manuscrqif." 

When,  in  1845,  Klingemann  and  his  young 
wife  first  opened  their  hospitable  rooms  in 
Hobart  Place,  Eaton  Square,  Mendelssohn  was 
one  of  their  first  guests,  and  nothing  can  be 
more  charming  than  to  hear  Frati  Sophie 
Klingemann  speak  of  his  engaging  amiability 
and  cheerfulness.  A  very  attractive  sister  of 


224         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

hers  was  at  that  time  on  a  visit  to  them,  and 
in  their  letters  to  their  parents  neither  could 
say  enough  about  their  beloved  and  joyous 
guest,  who  evidently  felt  himself  quite  at 
home  with  them.  Mendelssohn,  however,  was 
already  so  celebrated,  that  visits  and  invita- 
tions overwhelmed  him  in  the  most  remarkable 
manner  during  his  stay,  so  their  confidential 
evenings  would  have  been  few  irkjiumber,  but 
for  a  stratagem  to  which  they  resorted — to  say 
that  none  of  the  family  were  at  home.  On 
these  occasions,  they  sat  in  the  drawing-room 
with  the  curtains  drawn  and  the  lamp  shaded, 
and  talked,  and  sketched,  and  made  verses, 
while  carriages  outside  drove  up,  and  the  knock- 
ing and  inquiries  for  Mr.  Mendelssohn  were 
endless,  each  receiving  the  same  disappointing 
answer,  "  not  at  home,"  while  within  they 
laughed  and  rejoiced  con  sordini  as  each  in- 
truder was  dispatched.  Not  till  the  hour  for 
visitors  was  passed,  did  they  venture  to  open 
the  piano. 

Madame    Klingemann   and  her  sister  had 
been  educated  at  home  by  their  lather,  and 


i.  \i  rusiMNs.  225 


among  other  things  had  studied  Latin  witli 
him,  and  particularly  the  Odes  of  Sorace.  It 
was,  therefore,  a  source  of  peculiar  pleasure 
to  their  renowned  guest  to  test  the  acquire- 
ments of  the  charming  sisters,  and  he  ex- 
pressed the  utmost  delight  when  the  examina- 
tion passed  without  any  stumbling-blocks,  and 
he  was  enabled  to  award  them  a  first-class  cer- 
tificate. He  often  quoted  a  passage  in  the 
middle  of  some  ode  to  them  —  when,  to  his 
astonishment  and  delight,  the  rest  of  the  pas- 
sage was  always  forthcoming.  Klingemann 
would  sit  beside  them  with  his  shrewd  smile, 
enjoying  the  pleasure  of  his  wife  and  sister,  as 
well  as  that  of  his  friend.-  Meanwhile  Felix 
sometimes  suddenly  started  up,  and  sat  down 
at  the  piano  to  play  some  theme  that  oc- 
curred to  him  at  the  moment,  when  he  would 
summon  Klingemann  to  his  side,  and  both  in  a 
second  became  absorbed  in  a  discussion  on 
music,  while  the  fair  young  wife  listened  with 
the  expression  that  seems  to  say, 

When  wisdom  ?peaks.  I  gladly  lend  (in  ear, 
Because  I  may  believe  the  words  I  hear; 
8 


226         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

and  the  graceful  Marie  glided  about  noise- 
lessly, arranging  the  tea-table,  till  some  sud- 
den inspiration  of  Mendelssohn's  fancy  col- 
lected them  all  round  him  in  silent  and  enthu- 
siastic admiration. 

The  same  small  circle  often  assembled  at 
the  Thomsons'  and  Horsleys',  and  a  charming 
sketch  of  Mendelssohn's,  now  in  the  possession 
of  Frau  Sophie  Klingemann,  represents  a  tea- 
table  at  Fanny  Thomson's,  round  which  all 
those  lovely  young  women  are  seated,  and  the 
two  friends. 

Occasionally  the  society  was  enlarged  by 
that  ever -welcome  couple,  the  Moscheles. 
Benedict  came  with  his  handsome  wife,  a 
lively  dark-eyed  Neapolitan  ;  Bennett  and 
his  young  wife,  Chorley,  etc.,  or  the  same 
party  met  in  one  of  the  hospitable  houses  I 
have  named.  There  every  one,  according  to 
their  own  inclinations,  either- conversed  with 
ease  and  unrestraint,  or  enjoyed  music,  and 
even  the  pencil  was  not  always  at  rest.  How 
many  a  sketch  was  retained  by  fair  hands  as 
the  sole  memorial  of  those  happy  days !  Men- 


EXCURSIONS.  227 

delssohn  was  composing  at  that  time  a  Strophe 
in  the  album  of  Fran  Klingemann,  with  the 
intention  of  adding  a  fresh  part  at  each  visit. 
"  The  thing  must  have  at  least  sixteen  parts," 
said  he. 

However  brilliant  Mendelssohn  appeared  in 
larger  evening  parties,  his  innate  overflowing 
gay  spirits,  the  charm  of  which  was  said  to  be 
quite  irresistible,, were  only  known  to  his  most 
intimate  friends.  On  his  first  visit  after 
Klingemann's  marriage,  he  bespoke  from  the 
bride  his  favorite  dish  for  dinner  next  day, 
honest  English  roast  beef,  humbly  begging  also 
for  a  cherry  pie,  with  custards.  When  his 
friend  asked  him  about  the  incidents  on  his 
journey,  he  answered  with  a  merry  smile, 
"  Except  sea-sickness,  I  met  with  nothing  new, 
only  it  did  seem  strange  to  me  to  meet  so 
many  English  on  the  road."  "  Oh  !  that  old 
joke ;  have  you  not  yet  forgotten  it  ? "  said 
Klingemann  laughing,  and  they  immediately 
plunged  into  merry  remembrances  of  their 
Highland  journey,  during  which  they  had  met 
"  such  a  remarkable  number  of  Scotch  people ! " 


228          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

On  that  evening  the  friends  agreed  to  a  par- 
tie  guarree  to  Blackwall,  to  enjoy  one  of  the 
fish  dinners  for  which  it  was  celebrated,  and 
which  Mendelssohn  already  knew  and  liked 
much.  Indeed,  at  no  time  does  he  seem  to 
have  been  insensible  to  the  excellences  of  the 
English  cuisine.  It  was  a  joyous  expedition, 
and  a  joyous  meal  in  a  little  pavilion  close  to 
the  river,  the  blue  watery  expanse  lying  spread 
out  before  their  gay  and  admiring  eyes,  placid 
and  rippling  in  the  light  of  the  evening  sun. 
And  besides  this  charming  object,  there  were 
newly-caught,  capital  fish,  good  wine,  lovely, 
blooming,  female  faces,  the  familiar  German 
tones  in  a  foreign  land,  and  jovial  toasts, 
rhymed  and  unrhymed  !  Never,  perhaps,  was 
a  merrier  fish  dinner  than  on  that  day  in  the 
little  pavilion,  decorated  with  mussel-shells,  by 
the  water-side. 

How  truly  his  attached  London  friends  sym- 
pathized in  all  his  German  and  English  tri- 
umphs, when  first  his  "  St.  Paul,"  and  after- 
ward the  "  Elijah,"  was  so  enthusiastically  re- 
ceived in  England  ;  when  Mendelssohn's  songs 


and  Mendelssohn's  compositions  were  sung  and 
played  in  every  musical  house,  and  above  till 
in  the  salon  of  "  the  gracious  Queen  ! "  AVhile 
all  this  delight  and  appreciation  by  those  so 
dear  to  him  was  ever  most  highly  valued  of 
all  by  the  heart  of  the  renowned  master,  wha 
never  for  one  moment  was  divested  of  the 
wonderful  modesty  of  true  genius,  which 
always  regards  itself  as  merely  on  the  path 
that  leads  to  the  highest  goal,  but  never  thinks 
that  it  is  already  attained,  gratefully  accepting 
every  counsel,  every  opinion,  everj  interchange 
of  ideas.  To  this  the  survivors  can  testify 
with  the  deepest  reverence  and  emotion.  And 
after  the  most  brilliant  fetes  and  honors,  how 
happy  he  invariably  seemed  at  the  modest  tea- 
tables  of  his  friends,  where,  instead  of  a  laurel 
crown,  a  simple  nosegay,  gathered  by  fail- 
hands,  adorned  the  place  of  the  beloved  guest. 
In  the  hearts  of  all  those  fortunate  beings  who 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  his  intimacy,  Felix 
has  left  the  same  ineffaceable  image  —  the 
image  of  an  incomparably  noble  and  harmoni- 
ous nature,  both  as  a  man  and  as  an  artist. 


230         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

In   May,  1847,  Klingemann   and   his  wife 

•/   7  ^ 

aoeorapanied  Mendelssohn  to  Calais,  on  their 
way  to  the  Continent.  It  was  on  this  very 
journey  that  the  tidings  of  Fanny's  death 
was  to  reach  him.  Mendelssohn  had  offered 
to  escort  Madame  Klingemann  to  Germany  as 
far  as  Cologne,  where  her  own  relations  were 
to  receive  her,  while  he  himself  was  to  proceed 
to  Frankfort,  where  Cecile  and  the  children 
eagerly  expected  him.  He  suffered  very  much 
in  crossing,  which,  indeed,  he  never  bore  well ; 
so  that  Klingemann,  who  on  the  evening  pre- 
vious to  the  journey  from  London  had  been 
seized  by  an  inexplicable  feeling  of  uneasiness, 
resolved  to  go  part  of  the  way  with  him,  and 
to  escort  his  beloved  companions  as  far  as 
Ostend.  They  had  hired  a  carriage  in  Calais, 
and  now  traveled  in  all  possible  comfort ;  and 
during  this  delightful  tour,  favored  by  the 
most  splendid  weather,  Mendelssohn  soon  re- 
covered, and  was  restored  to  his  usual  cheer- 
fulness. In  the  reminiscences  of  Madame 
Klingemann,  those  days  of  travel  seem  to 
Lave  been  a  mixture  of  sky-blu,e  sunny  gold, 


EXCURSIONS.  231 

snow-white  blossoms,  and  luminous  seas.  It 
was  the  last  time  that  those  devotedly  attached 
friends  were  to  be  together.  The  hour  of 
parting  came  ;  they  shook  hands  with  the  con- 
solatory last  words  on  their  lips,  "  to  meet 
again."  But  confidently  as  these  words  of 
hope  and  farewell  were  spoken  on  both  sides, 
tears  were  in  their  eyes,  and  their  hearts  were 
strangely  depressed,  as  if  from  a  presentiment 
that — never  were  they  to  meet  again  !  It  was 
possibly  at  that  time  that  Klingemann  wrote 
the  pleasing  poem  which  now  rests  in  Fran 
Sophie's  casket  of  relics : 

A   FAREWELL. 

Wandering  bird  of  passage, 

Thou  fain  wouldst  fly  away  1 
But  there's  a  thread  of  magic 

Compelling,  thee  to  stay. 

A  slender  thread  of  magic, 

And  yet  a  potent  spell, 
Will  bind  the  bird  of  passage 

To  those  who  love  him  well. 

Faint  strains  of  fairy  music 

That  sound  so  far  away ! 
Ye  are  the  morning  heralds 

That  harbinger  the  day. 

And  as  the  Alpine  ridges 

Shine  radiant  to  the  last, 
Ye  are  the  distant  echoes 

Of  the  glories  of  the  past. 


232          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

The  last  flickering  of  Mendelssohn's  usual 
gay  spirits  when  on  a  journey,  the  animated 
mood  inspired  by  travel,  is  described  by  Fer- 
dinand von  W ,  in  a  letter  to  his  friend 

Frau  Malwine  B.  S .  The  following  was 

written  after  Mendelssohn's  death : — 

"  Who  would  not  feel  awe-struck  when  death 
thus  mows  down?  "What  an  affliction,  the 
death  of  Mendelssohn  !  Again  and  again  I 
exclaim  !  It  is  impossible !  How  I  rejoiced 
when  only  one  short  month  ago  he  came  to 
Freiburg,  for  the  first  time  since  Fanny's  death 
more  lively  and  cheerful !  How  I  strove  to 
promote  this !  He  was  the  noblest  man  I  ever 
knew.  I  always  felt  elevated  and  excited  in 
his  presence,  and  so  much  gratified  by  his  lik- 
ing for  myself.  One  day  we  were  in  Baden- 
weiler  together,  in  lovely  weather.  I  now  con- 
stantly recall  that  expedition.  How  charming 
he  was  on  that  day — and  how  he  talked  !  All 
that  he  said  was  so  delightful,  and  so-  refined, 
though  even  his  playfulness  was  tinged  with 
gravity.  We  were  on  the  summit  of  the  tower, 
and  when  we  began  to  descend,  I  suddenly 


EXCURSIONS.  I':):', 

shouted  to  liim  behind  me  to  catch  me  if  he 
could.  We  then  ran  down  the  winding  stair, 

O 

at  tlie  risk  of  a  tumble  ;  but,  in  spite  of  the 
start  I  had,  I  could  scarcaly  arrive  first ;  and 
when  we  were  below,  how  he  laughed  in  his 
old  way,  and,  laying  hold  of  me,  said,  in  the 
joyous  tone  of  former  days,  u  We  are  two  chil- 
dren !  ••  lie  could  run  like  the  wind,  and  en- 
joyed doing  so.  The  real  grandeur  of  his 
creations —  how  will  they  now  be  doubly  ac- 
knowledged !  His  is  an  everlasting  name,  and 
a  life  of  fame  is  a  long  one.  Ah  !  would  that 
he  could  ever  be  equaled  !  And  with  so  much 
fame,  how  much  love  was  also  bestowed  on 
him  !  And  now  he  lies  sleeping  in  the  grave 
— our  inimitable  Felix  !" 

The  journey  to  Switzerland,  alluded  to  in 
this  letter,  was  to  be  his  last  here  below.  No 
other  gay  pilgrimage  was  destined  for  him  on 
this  beautiful  earth  ;  the  journey  was  drawing 
to  a  dose. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  CLOSE. 

It  IB  enough.    O  Lord  receive  my  sonL 

— Mendelssohn' 's  "  St.  Paul." 

AFTER  the  concert,  where  Reichardt's  "  Vio- 
let "  song  won  so  many  friends,  I  took  leave 
of  Mendelssohn,  in  order  to  reside  for  some 
time  in  Berlin. 

"  Be  sure  to  call  on  my  sister,  Fanny  Hensel," 
said  he ;  "  she  has  heard  much  good  of  you. 
Sing  and  practice  assiduously,  and  think  often 
of  me  !  Next  winter  you  will  come  forward 
in  very  different  form — and  that  will  be  a  joy- 
ful day!" 

And  with  touching  kindness  did  Frau  Fanny 
Hensel  receive  the  timid  young  girl,  when  she 
paid  her  first  visit.  How  distinctly  do  I  still 
see  before  me  the  long  bright  room  in  which 
she  welcomed  me !  She  rose  from  the  piano 
as  I  came  in,  with  outstretched  hand.  Frau 
Rebecca  Dirichlet  and  Herr  von  Keudell  were 


THE   CLOSE.  235 

with  her.  Fanny  Ilensel  was  little,  a  brunette, 
and  her  gestures  animated,  while  her  deep  dark 
eyes  seemed  to  look  into  your  very  heart.  Re- 
becca I  recollect  as  slender  and  pale,  her  delicate 
features  bearing  more  resemblance  to  those  of 
her  brother.  And  now  I  had  to  tell  them  all 
about  Felix.  How  gladly  I  did  so !  So  we 
soon  fell  into  the  most  easy  strain  of  conversa- 
tion. Fran  Ilensel  then  gave  me,  in  the  most 
amiable  manner,  a  general  invitation  to  her 
celebrated  Sunday  matinees. 

What  a  store  of  delightful  and  rich  enjoy- 
ment I  reaped  in  that  house !  In  what  a  glori- 
ously golden  light  do  those  days  in  Berlin  still 
seem  to  float  before  my  memory !  I  heard 
that  genuine  artist  Fanny  play,  and  was  privi- 
leged to  sing  Mendelssohn's  songs  to  her. 

A  variety  of  forms  flitted  past  me,  and  my 
youthful  soul  received  powerful  and  inefface- 
able impressions  of  the  most  varied  nature. 
Many  a  noble  image,  many  a  sweet  sound  and 
tone  still  rest  among  the  sacred  relics  I  trea- 
sure in  my  memory.  I  can  never  forget  the 
wonderful  playing  also  of  Herr  von  Keudell, 


23(3          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

now  Secretary  of  Legation  and  the  friend  of 
Count  Bismarck,  and  who  was  an  almost  daily 
guest  at  that  time  of  the  Hensels. 

One  matinee,  in  particular,  I  can  still  recall 
as  vividly  as  if  I  had  only  yesterday  been 
present  at  it.  A  circle  of  elegant  ladies ;  a 
throng  of  gentlemen  with  stars  and  without ; 
the  fascinating  Pauline  von  Schatzel -Decker  ; 
a  pretty  young  pianist  from  Schleswig,  Toni 
Tiedemann  ;  Auguste  Lowe,  a  contralto,  and 
her  sweet  sister,  Georgine ;  the  Mesdames 
Tiirrschmidt ;  the  musicians,  Gans,  Taubert, 
and  Kungenhagen  ;  Professor  Hensel  himself; 
Paul  Mendelssohn,  Professor  Dirichlet,  the 
imposing  figures  of  Herr  von  Keudell,  Richard 
Wuerst,  and  others.  One  female  form  on  that 
day  more  especially  excited  my  highest  in- 
terest, from  which  I  really  could  not  turn 
away  my  eyes.  It  was  that  of  Henriette 
Sontag,  Countess  Rossi,  in  violet  silk  and  a 
crimson  shawl  equally  aristocratic  and  be- 
witching. And  on  that  morning,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all  these  grandees,  known  and  un- 
known, the  little  Leipzig  girl  was  to  sing  Men- 


THE   CLOSE.  237 

delssohn's  "  Keiselied,"  accompanied  by  Fanny 
Hensel — 

Convey  the  greetings  of  my  feithful  heart ! 

and  she  thought  of  him  whose  warm  introduc- 
tion she  would  not  for  the  world  have  disgraced, 

O 

and  carolled  fresh  and  free,  like  the  birds  in 
the  forest,  and  Fran  Fanny  smiled  and  nodded, 
and  whispered,  "  Felix  ought  to  have  heard 
that !  "  and  Henriette  Sontag  said  a  few  good, 
natured  words  to  the  young  singer,  and  looked 
at  her  so  kindly  with  her  deep  blue  eyes,  and 
so  much  charming  music  ensued,  that  "  the 
little  one  "  went  home  quite  intoxicated  with 
delight. 

A  small  sheet  of  pale  blue  paper  lies  at  this 
moment  before  me,  on  which  a  graceful  hand, 
in  beautiful  penmanship,  had  written  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  To  frdulein  Llli  Vogel. 

"  MY  DEAE  FRAULEIN  :  I  have  been  unfor- 
tunately obliged  to  postpone  my  next  musical 
matinee  till  Sunday  week,  but  I  trust  this  may 
not  deprive  me  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you. 


238         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

Meanwhile,  I  have  fixed  to-morrow  at  five 
o'clock  for  my  rehearsal.  If  there  is  nothing 
to  prevent  it,  I  beg  you  to  come  for  a  little ; 
we  can  then  have  some  music  together  for  our 
own  amusement,  and.  if  the  weather  clears 
up,  sing  some  four-part  songs  in  the  garden. 
"  Yours,  FANNY  HENSEL." 

In  the  month  of  May,  only  a  few  weeks 
after  those  enchanting  quartettes  in  the  open 
air,  Fanny  Hensel  was  dead!  Felix  Men- 
delssohn was  right  when  he  wrote,  "  No  one 
who  once  knew  my  sister  can  ever  forget  her 
through  life !  " 

In  the  meantime  the  concert  season  in  Leip- 
zig had  come  to  a  close.  On  March  11,  1847, 
Mendelssohn  directed  the  last  subscription  con- 
cert, where  Robert  Schumann's  new  Symphony 
in  C  major  was  performed.  Shortly  after,  he 
conducted  a  concert  of  Clara  Schumann's, 
where  that  enchantress  played  his  G  minor 
Concerto  in  the  most  exquisite  manner.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  was  occupied  in  the  most 
heterogeneous  works — his  "  Lorelei,"  and  his 
Oratorio  of  "  Christus,"  various  Motetts,  and 


THE   CLOSE.  239 

a  Scherzo  for  stringed  i instruments.  His 
health,  however,  to  the  extreme  alarm  of  his 
family,  had  become  very  fluctuating,  amid  all 
these  varied  and  unremitting  labors,  and  he 
complained  much  of  headaches  and  wearin 
After  giving  a  performance  of  his  "  St.  Paul " 
on  Good  Friday,  Mendelssohn,  contrary  to  the 
advice  of  his  physicians,  proceeded  to  encoun- 
ter new  toils  of  every  kind  in  London,  where 
the  "  Elijah  "  had  been  given  three  consecutive 
times,  with  ever  increasing  enthusiasm.  lie 
likewise  went  to  Manchester  to  direct  his 
"  Elijah,"  and,  on  May  11,  played,  for  the  last 
time  in  public,  at  a  Court  concert  in  London, 
Beethoven's  G  major  Concerto,  with  the  most 
splendid  extemporized  cadences,  and  directed 
the  music  of  his  "  Midsummer  Night's  Dream." 

After  all  these  exertions  and  triumphs  he 
felt  an  irresistible  longing  for  a  quiet  retired 
life ;  he  yearned  for  a  meeting  with  his  brother 
and  sisters,  and  for  a  thorough  dolce  far 
niente. 

A  grand  family  meeting  was  arranged  by 
him,  when  in  London,  at  beautiful  Frankfort, 


24:0         REMINISCENCES    OF   MEXDELSSOHN. 

where  Mendelssohn  had  found  his  happiness ; 
and  there,  by  the  side  of  his  beloved  wife,  in 
the  circle  of  his  children,  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning in  a  serene  sky,  the  dreadful  tidings 
reached  him  of  Fanny's  death !  Let  us  draw 
a  vail  over  this  sacred  sorrow ! 

The  list  of  his  compositions  in  1847  is  as 
follows  :— 

1847. 

Three  Motetts  for  Chorus  and  Solo  Voices.  Baden- 
Baden  and  Leipzig. 

Recitative  and  Choruses  from  the  unfinished  Oratorio, 
"  Christus." 

Finale  of  the  first  Act  from  the  unfinished  Opera  of 
"  Lorelei." 

Quartette  for  two  Violins,  Tenor,  and  Violoncello,  in  F 
minor.  Andante  and  Scherzo  for  two  Violins,  Tenor, 
and  Violoncello,  in  op.  81. 

Songs  for  One  Voice  with  Pianoforte. 

Song  for  Four  Male  Voices. 

Song  for  Two  Voices  with  Pianoforte,  "  Das  Aehrenfeld." 

Song  for  Voice  with  Pianoforte,  "  Altdeutsches  Friih- 
lingslied : " 

Gloomy  winter  is  no  more, 

The  swallows  through  the  welkin  soar. 

Mendelssohn's  last  composition,  written  on 
October  7,  18-47,  in  Leipzig. 


THE    CLOSE.  24:1 

Mendelssohn  quitted  Frankfort  with  his 
family,  to  spend  the  summer  in  Interlaken ; 
Paul  Mendelssohn  and  his  wife  and  Professor 
Hensel  accompanied  them. 

He  took  refuge  with  his  loved  ones  and  his 
grief  in  the  stupendous  Alpine  world,  and 
there  the  mourners  lived  together  in  seclusion, 
and,  as  it  were,  hand  in '  hand,  in  memoriam 
of  the  lost  one  who  could  no  longer  be  among 
them  ;  and  it  was  the  sweet  balm  of  holy  na- 
ture, and  the  magic  of  childish  eyes,  that  ex- 
tracted the  sharpest  thorns  from  their  too  just 
grief,  and  gradually  consoled  Mendelssohn's 
bruised  heart.  Though  bowed  down  with  sor- 
row, he  occupied  himself  incessantly  with  his 
children.  At  length  his  well-beloved  brother 
and  sister  returned  home,  although  on  this  oc- 
casion the  separation  was  inexpressibly  hard  to 
bear.  He  felt  always  better  in  the  open  air. 
He  took  long  rambles  with  his  children,  and 
also  wandered  about  alone,  when  no  doubt  he 
felt  the  truth  of  the  lines  in  one  of  his  owii 
sweetest  "  Spring  Songs," 

Sorrow  melts  like  soft  dissolving  snow. 
8* 


2:12          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

And  never  was  heart  more  susceptible  than 
his  to  the  charms  of  God's  beautiful  world, 
lie  has  sung  the  splendors  of  every  season  of 
the  year ;  and  no  one  felt  more  deeply  than  he 
did  the  sweet  consolations  of  spring — from  the 
"  first  violet "  to  that  last  sad 

Sweet  spring,  thou  art  departed. 

!N"o  one  ever  had  a  more  genuine  love  of  roses — 

Now  roses  bloom ; 

or  delighted  more  in  the  autumn — 

Withered  leaves  rustle  in  the  woods, 

where  the  fair  one  lingers  in  the 

Bright  world  of  bloom. 

Winter  alone  calls  forth  a  lament : 

So  small  the  earth,  we  hardly  know 
To  what  poor  hut  or  hole  to  go, 
From  blinding  sleet,  or  driving  snow ; 

and  indeed,  it  was  winter  that  hurried  him 
into  the  smallest  and  narrowest  of  all  huts — 
the  grave. 

During  his  last  stay  in  Interlaken,  Mendels- 
sohn withdrew  from  all  society ;  strangers  were 
intolerable  to  him.  His  grief  drove  him  into 
solitude,  for  every  great  and  true  grief  must 


THE    CLOSE.  243 

isolate  us ;  the  fe\vcr  sounds  that  reached  him 
from  the  world  without,  the  more  beneficial 
was  it  to  him.  We  can  realize  a  very  touching 
picture  of  his  secluded  life  there  from  various 
passages  in  his  letters  of  that  date. 

"  Since  the  day  before  yesterday  it  has  been 
quite  cold  besides,  so  we  have  a  fire  in-doors, 
and  out-of-doors  streaming  rain.  But  I  can- 
not deny  that  I  sometimes  rather  like  such 
downright  pouring  wet  days,  which  confine 
you  effectually  to  the  house.  This  time  they 
give  me  an  opportunity  of  passing  the  whole 
day  with  my  three  elder  children  ;  they  write, 
and  learn  arithmetic  and  Latin  with  me — paint 
landscapes  during  their  play-hours,  or  play 
draughts,  and  ask  a  thousand  wise  questions, 
which  no  fool  can  answer  (people  generally  say 
the  reverse  of  this,  still  it  is  so).  The  standing 
reply  is,  and  always  will  be,  *  You  do  not  yet 
understand  such  things,'  which  still  vibrates 
in  my  ears  from  my  own  mother,  and  which  I 
shall  soon  hear  in  turn  from  my  children,  when 
they  give  their  children  the  same  answer  ;  and 
thus  it  goes  on." 


REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHtf. 

In  another  letter  to  Paul  Mendelssohn  he 
says : — 

"  I  have  begun  to  write  music  very  busily ; 
the  three  elder  children  work  with  me  in  the 
forenoon ;  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  weather 
permits,  we  all  take  a  walk  together ;  and  I 
have  also  finished  a  few  rabid  sketches  in 
Indian  ink." 

And  finally : 

'•My  wife  and  children  are  well,  God  be 
praised  !  We  walk  a  great  deal,  the  children 
do  their  lessons,  Cecile  paints  Alpine  roses, 
and  I  write  music ;  so  the  days»pass  monoto- 
nously and  quickly." 

How  distinctly  do  we  thus  picture  to  our- 
selves the  scene  as  actually  before  us — the  spa- 
cious room  with  the  fire-place,  and  through  the 
open  door  of  the  balcony  a  view  of  the  inim- 
itable Jungfrau  in  all  her  crystal  beauty  !  A 
circle  of  blooming  children  round  the  table, 
their  rosy  faces  bent  over  the  pages  of  different 
books,  yet  laughing  and  chatting  at  intervals. 
Lili  on  a  footstool  with  her  doll,  little  Felix 
playing  on  the  floor  near  his  mother.  At  a 


THE   CLOSE.  24-5 

small  table  in  the  full  light  sits  the  lovely 
Cecile,  her  golden-brown  curls  drooping  over 
her  delicate  cheeks;  in  front  of  her  stands  a 
vase  filled  with  rhododendrons,  while  her  fra- 
gile hand  rests  on  the  leaves  of  an  album,  in 
which  those  Alpine  roses  have  just  been 
sketched.  Her  long  eyelashes  are  raised  from 
time  to  time,  and  those  matchless  eyes  seek 
one  alone  with  the  loving  tenderness  of  a  de- 
voted wife.  And  Felix  looks  paler  and  thinner 
than  formerly,  with  a  dreamy  absent  air  gaz- 
ing away  from  the  music-paper  into  the  far 
distance — the  pen  has  escaped  from  his  hand. 
Whither  are  his  thoughts  straying?  Possibly 
it  may  be  the  melody  of  his  wonderful  ''  Xacht- 
lied  "  that  at  this  moment  hovers  before  his 
soul : 

Now  shines  out  the  evening  star, 
And  chime  of  bells  comes  from  afar. 

His  return  to  Leipzig,  and  his  first  meeting 
with  his  faithful  friends,  after  the  death  of  her 
who  could  never  be  forgotten,  agitated  Men- 
delssohn beyond  all  measure.  The  wound, 
scarcely  yet  cicatrized,  was  now  once  more  vio- 
lently torn  open.  In  spite  of. the  wish  that 


246         REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

every  one  showed  to  spare  his  feelings,  still 
some  allusion  to  the  fatal  event  was  inevitable, 
and  hence  it  was  that  he  so  repeatedly  declared, 
"  The  a-ir  of  Leipzig  stifles  me  ;  it  is  so  oppres- 
sive everywhere ! "  He  went  to  Berlin  for  a 
short  time,  and  only  returned  to  Leipzig  to 
prepare  for  a  journey  to  Vienna,  whither  he 
had  promised  to  go  to  conduct  his  "  Elijah." 
He  resumed  his  labors  with  eager  haste  and 
burning  zeal,  in  spite  of  constantly  recurring 
paius  in  his  head,  and  attacks  of  faintness  ;  and 
to  Cecile's  tender  entreaties  to  spare  himself, 
he  only  replied,  "  Let  me  work  on — for  me  too 
the  hour  of  rest  will  come ! "  and  to  those 
friends  who  assailed  him  with  similar  remon- 
strances, he  replied  in  a  determined  manner, 
"  Let  me  work  while  it  is  yet  day.  Who  can 
tell  how  soon  the  bell  may  toll  ?  " 

Mendelssohn  always  composed  in  his  head, 
and  never  at  the  piano.  Like  Mozart,  every 
piece  of  music,  with  all  its  instrumentation, 
was  in  his  mind  before  he  wrote  it  down. 
Sometimes  an  idea  occurred  to  him  when 
seated  at.  the  piano,  which  he  then  hastily 


THE    CLOSE.  247 

noted  down,  and  subsequently  resumed  and 
worked  out  in  his  head.  A  comparison  with 
our  glorious  Mozart  suggests  itself  forcibly  in 
many  phases  of  Mendelssohn's  being,  both  as 
a  man  and  as  an  artist ;  above  all,  in  the  pro- 
digious power  of  work  and  activity  of  his 
equally  brief  artistic  career.  He  had  likewise 
the  same  childlike  enjoyment  of  life,  and  was 
equally  absorbed  in  his  beloved  art.  Men- 
delssohn's unpublished  works  are  scarcely 
fewer  in  number  than  those  published. 


On  the  7th  October,  1847,  Mendelssohn 
composed  that  sweet,  profoundly  melancholy 
"  Spring  Song,"  the  last  verse  of  which  runs 
thus : — 


Idol  of  my  inmost  heart ! 
Life  for  me  is  endless  sorrow — 
Blackest  night  without  a  morrow- 

For  thou  and  I  must  part. 


He  then  pushed  aside  the  still  wet  page,  and 
starting  up,  said  hastily,  "  Enough  !  Don't  be 
uneas}-,  Cecile,  any  longer ;  I  really  mean  to 
write  no  more,  and  to  rest  awhile !  " 


248          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

Two  days  afterward  Mendelssohn  brought 
his  newest  book  of  songs  to  his  musical  friend, 
Fran  Livia  Frege,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
seeing  him  so  often  come  into  her  house  with 
a  score  under  his  arm,  and  singing  the  half- 
finished  piece  to  him  at  sight.  On  this  occa- 
sion she  was  to  sing  for  him,  with  her  sweet 
voice,  the  "  Nachtlied."  They  first  tried  over 
some  portions  of  "  St.  Paul,"  and  different 
songs.  Mendelssohn's  excessive  nervous  irri- 
tability had  for  some  time  past  been  very 
striking,  whether  in  listening  to  music  or  in 
playing  himself.  His  face  changed,  and  he 
became  very  pale.  Indeed,  he  avoided  all  large 
musical  gatherings,  and  repeatedly  declared 
that  "  the  highest  delight,  and  the  highest  of 
all  enjoyments,  is  in  reality  music  among  a 
few  friends— at  most,  a  quartette  of  congenial 
spirits.  At  present  I  care  for  nothing  beyond 
this." 

On  the  day  in  question,  Mendelssohn  had 
played  a  great  deal  the  same  morning  with 
Moscheles  and  David,  and  to  his  anxious 
friend,  Madame  L.  Frege,  he  appeared  weary 


THE    CLOSE.  249 

and  exhausted.  When  at  last  she  sang  the 
following  lines — 

Time  marches  on  by  night  as  well  as  day. 
And  many  march  by  night  who  fain  would  stay, 

Mendelsohn  said,  with  a  shudder,  "  Oh  !  that 
has  a  dreary  sound,  but  it  is  just  what  I  feel ! " 
He  then  suddenly  rose,  as  pale  as  death,  and 
paced  the  room  hurriedly,  complaining  that 
his  hands  were  as  cold  a8  ice.  To  Fran  Livia 
Frege's  anxious  and  earnest  entreaty  to  drive 
straight  home  and  send  for  a  doctor,  he  an- 
swered with  a  smile,  that  a  good  quick  walk 
would  be  of  greater  service  to  him,  and  took 
leave  of  her.  He,  however,  gave  up  his  inten- 
tion of  taking  a  walk,  and  went  straight  home  ; 
but  in  the  evening  he  was  similarly  affected, 
and  obliged  to  remain  in  bed  for  some  days. 
This  attack  of  debility  seemed  to  have  passed 
away,  and  Mendelssohn  again  received  visits 
from  his  intimate  friends  ;  indeed,  on  October 
28th,  he  took  a  short  walk  with  his  wife,  and 
was  tolerably  well  and  in  good  spirits  at  dinner. 
In  the  afternoon,  to  the  consternation  of  his 
family,  he  was  seized  with  a  sudden,  deep  swoon. 


250          REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

The  physician  could  not  dissemble  his  alarm 
at  this  attack  of  illness ;  his  state  was  soon 
hopeless,  for  a  paralytic  stroke  ensued.  Men- 
delssohn lay  for  a  long  time  insensible ;  and 
when  he  once  more  recovered  consciousness,  he 
continued  in  an  apathetic  state,  only  complain- 
ing at  intervals  of  insupportable  pains  in  his 
head.  In  this  condition  he  continued  for 
seven  days,  with  little  change  for  better  or 
worse — days  full  of  torment  and  mortal  an- 
guish to  all  who  loved  him. 

The  intelligence  of  the  danger  that  threat- 
ened this  precious  life  spread  like  wildfire 
through  the  city ;  it  was  as  if  some  beloved 
king  had  been  in  peril  of  his  life ;  crowds  of 
anxious  inquirers  besieged  the  well-known 
house  in  the  Konigsstrasse,  anxiously  hoping 
for  a  better  report.  On  every  side  were  seen 
sorrowing  faces  and  sympathizing  inquirers. 

And  within,  in  the  darkened  sick-room,  the 
mortal  frame  of  one  of  the  noblest  of  men  was 
undergoing  the  last  great  struggle,  surrounded 
by  faithful  friends,  in  the  arms  of  inconsolable 
but  self-sacrificing  love ;  and,  at  nine  o'clock 


THE   CLOSE.  251 

at  night,  on  the  4th  November,  1847,  the  hand 
of  the  Angel  of  Death  wrote  underneath  the 
Book  of  Life  of  him  who  had  gone  to  his  rest 
his  hallowed  Fine. 

The  purest  of  artistic  souls  had  returned  to 
the  Source  of  Light,  whence  it  emanated. 

Deeply  affecting  were  the  marks  of  respect 
shown  to  the  mortal  remains  of  Mendebsohn 
by  the  city  for  whose  musical  life  he  had  la- 
bored so  efficiently.  People  flocked  from  far 
and  near  to  see  once  more  that  beloved  face — 
the  pallid  forehead  encircled  by  a  wreath  of 
laurel.  His  attached  friends,  his  grateful 
pupils  and  admirers,  with  bitter  tears,  bade  a 
silent  and  solemn  farewell  to  the  dead  master. 
A  funeral  service  was  appointed  to  take  place 
in  the  University  church  on  the  7th  Novem- 
ber ;  at  its  close  his  coffin  was  to  be  conveyed 
to  Berlin,  and  placed  by  Fanny's  side,  in  the 
family  bury  ing-place. 

On  the  appointed  day,  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  the  tolling  of  bells  and  the  sounds 
of  funeral  music  announced  to  the  expectant 
throng  that  the  procession  was  approaching. 


252         REMINISCENCES   OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

The  coffin  was  preceded  by  two  music  choirs, 
by  the  members  of  the  Grewandhaus  orchestra 
and  the  pupils  of  the  Conservatorium,  one  of 
whom  carried  a  silver  laurel-wreath  on  a  white 
satin  cushion.  The  black  pall  of  the  coffin, 
embroidered  in  silver,  was  scarcely  visible,  so 
entirely  was  it  covered  with  clusters  of  flowers, 
palm-branches,  wreaths,  and  garlands.  The 
four  corners  of  the  pall  were  borne  by  the 
dearest  friends  and  art-colleagues  of  the  de- 
ceased— Moscheles  and  David  among  others. 
How  profoundly  was  every  heart  affected  by 
the  sounds  of  the  glorious  E  minor  song  from 
the  fifth  book  of  Mendelssohn's  "  Songs  with- 
out Words,"  arranged  for  wind  instruments 
by  Moscheles,  expressly  for  this  last  solemn 
convoy  ! 

Next  to  the  coffin  came  the  mourners,  the 
clergy,  chief  civil  and  military  authorities, 
the  members  of  the  University,  the  magis- 
tracy, the  city  delegates,  the  students,  and  in- 
numerable mourners  of  every  class.  The  Paul- 
ine church  was  hung  with  black,  and  illumin- 
ated ;  and  while  the  coffin  was  being  carried 


THE   CLOSE.  253 

in  and  placed  on  a  raised  platform,  a  greeting 
floated  down  as  from  heaven  itself — a  prelude 
of  Sebastian  Bach.  Then,  accompanied  by 
trombones  and  the  organ,  the  assembled  con- 
gregation sang  some  verses  of  that  grandest 
of  all  choral  melodies  by  Sebastian  Bach — 

O  Ilaupt  voll  Blut  und  Wunden  ! 

At  its  close,  the  choir  commenced  the  choral 
from  "  St.  Paul :  "— 

Herr,  Dir  will  ich  mich  ergeben, 

succeeded  by  a  loving  oration  to  the  memory 
of  the  deceased,  spoken  by  pastor  Howard  of 
the  Reformed  Church.  The  splendid  choral 
that  followed — 

Siehe,  wir  preisen  selig,  die  erduidet, 

caused  thousands  of  tears  to  flow. 

The  benediction  was  spoken  over  the  beloved 
remains,  and  the  final  chorus  from  Bach's 
"  Fassionsmusik  "  closed  the  sublime  solem- 
nity. 

The  coffin  was  conveyed  the  same  night  to 
Berlin,  accompanied  by  attached  friends ;  the 
greetings  of  mournful  love  and  reverence  the 
silent  procession  received  at  every  station, 


254:         REMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

lighting  up  the  gloomy  path  like  stars.  In 
Dessau,  in  the  midst  of  a  vocal  choir,  a  rever- 
end  form  awaited  them,  with  uncovered  silvery 
hair — Friedrich  Schneider,  the  composer  of 
the  "  Weltgericht."  Weeping,  he  received 
the  dead  young  master  whom  in  life  he  had  so 
tenderly  loved. 

In  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  his  family, 
the  funeral  rites  in  Berlin  were  as  simple  as 
possible.  The  mournful  procession  arrived  be- 
fore six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  In  the  midst 
of  a  silent  throng  of  notabilities  in  art,  the 
decorated  coffin  was  placed  on  the  hearse  amid 
the  sounds  of  the  choral,  "  Jesu,  meine  Zuver- 
sicht ;  "  and  during  the  transit  to  the  church- 
yard, Beethoven's  "  Funeral  March"  was  played. 
The  first  rays  of  the  rising  winter  sun  flick- 
ered on  the  palm  branches  and  flowers,  and — • 
on  Fanny's  grave.  Pastor  Berduscheck,  a  de- 
voted friend  of  the  Mendelssohn  family,  in 
deep  emotion,  pronounced  the  final  benediction 
over  the  corpse  in  few  but  striking  words. 

Wie  sie  so  sanft  ruhn ! 

then  resounded  in  the  silent,  hallowed  dawn  of 


THE    CLOSE.  255 

day,  and — all  was  over.  Earth  had  received 
the  mortal  remains  of  one  of  her  most  beloved 
children. 


I  was  at  that  time  at  Frankfort-on-the-Maine, 
studying  in  the  St.  Cecilia  Association,  with 
zeal  and  delight,  "  Elijah,"  a  performance  of 
which  was  to  be  given  in  the  church,  the  so- 
prano solos  having  been  intrusted  to  me,  to  my 
pride  and  joy.  But  even  during  the  first  re- 
hearsals, distressing  reports  were  circulated  in 
the  town,  of  Mendelssohn's  serious  illness.  It 
was  very  striking  to  see  how  the  most  dissimi- 
lar people  were  attracted  to  each  other  by  this 
common  subject  of  interest,  stopping  in  the 
street  to  ask  each  other  whether  any  fresh 
tidings  had  arrived  from  Leipzig.  A  heavy 
atmosphere  seemed  to  oppress  every  heart.  As 
for  myself,  I  was  in  a  state  of  the  most  feverish 
excitement.  I  wrote  almost  every  day  to  my 
father  and  mother  to  inquire,  without  remem- 
bering that  I  could  not  receive  a  daily  reply. 
The  last  rehearsal  of  the  solos  came,  but  I  went 


REMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

With  a  heavy  heart,  for  on  the  previous  evening 
it  was  rumored  that  worse  reports  had  arrived, 
and  on  this  morning  my  expected  letter  from 
Leipzig  had  not  come.  The  admirable  Franz 
Messer  directed  at  that  time  the  St.  Cecilia 
Association.  When  I  entered  the  hall,  the  in- 
troduction to  the  duett  between  Elijah  and  the 
widow  was  about  to  commence.  The  director, 
in  his  usual  lively  manner,  was  still  passing 
from  one  desk  to  another.  I  seated  myself  in 
my  usual  place,  to  await  his  signal,  when  I  saw 

good  Dr.  L come  in,  as  pale  as  death.     He 

who  always  showed  me  such  marked  kindness, 
now  only  bowed  gravely  from  a  distance,  and 
ma^le  no  effort  to  come  nearer.  Several  gentle- 
men were  standing  round  him.  The  orchestra 
had  already  begun  to  rehearse  some  portions — 
painful  uneasiness  suddenly  assailed  me.  I 
thought  I  could  distinguish  incessant  whisper- 
ing behind  me ;  but  Franz  Messer  gave  me  the 
signal,  and  I  rose.  "While  passing  through 
the  rows  of  the  audience,  I  heard  these  words, 
"  She  must  not  be  told  of  it  till  the  rehearsal 
is  over ! "  I  stood  still,  and  looked  round  in 


THE  CLOSE.  257 

alarm.  In  an  instant  I  was  by  the  side  of  my 
friend,  wirh  the  anxious  question,  l*  What  lias 
happened  '.  "  He  took  my  hand  with  warm  sym- 
pathy, and  answered  in  a  faltering  voice,  "  !'«• 
calm,  my  dear  child,  be  calm  !  It  is  only  what 
we  all  expected  :  our  Mendelssohn  is  dead !  " 

The  tears  of  anguish  shed  on  that  memorable 
morning  in  Frankfort  also  formed  a  requiem  ! 
Messer  laid  down  his  baton,  deeply  affected ; 
the  musicians  stood  in  silence,  while  in  a  few 
brief  words  he  told  them,  in  a  voice  broken 
with  emotion,  that  the  master  whom  they 
could  never  forget  had  gone  to  his  long  home. 
"When,  some  hours  later,  we  attempted  to  re- 
sume the  rehearsal,  our  grief  burst  forth  afresh 
as  violently  as  ever.  "Who  could  sing  at  such 
a  moment  ( 

The  "Elijah"  was  now  given  in  commemo- 
ration of  the  great  departed  master ;  we  all 
appeared  in  the  deepest  mourning,  and  the 
performance  was  universally  admitted  to  have 
been  worthy  of  the  great  composer,  had  lie  been 
present.  How  many  towns  offered  a  similar 
homage  to  the  deceased  ! 


258         KEMINISCENCES    OF   MENDELSSOHN. 

The  first  subscription  concert  in  Leipzig 
after  Mendelssohn's  death  had  a  most  imposing 
effect.  The  programme  consisted  principally 
of  the  compositions  of  him  whose  loss  they  were 
lamenting ;  the  choruses  and  solos  were  sung 
by  dilettanti.  Compositions  of  the  different 
periods  of  Mendelssohn's  life  were  given  in  suc- 
cession, in  the  presence  of  a  closely  thronged 
multitude.  Among  those  selected  were  "  Lu- 
ther's Hymn,"  the  enchanting  Overture  to  the 
"  Fair  Melusine,"  the  introduction  to  "  St. 
Paul,"  a  Motett  a  cappella,  and  EichendoriFs 
lovely  "  Nachtlied," 

Bright  day  is  departed. 

The  sweet  voice  that  sang  this  brought  tears 
even  into  eyes  that  had  long  ceased  to  weep, 
and  filled  the  heart  of  every  hearer  with  the 
most  profound  emotion.  Departed,  too,  was 
the  bright  day  of  Ms  life  ;  a  golden  harp  was 
mute,  and  its  strings  rent  asunder.  Felix  Men- 
delssohn now  slept  the  sleep  that  knows  no 
waking  on  this  earth. 


THE   CLOSE.  259 

Nearly  six  years  after  the  death  of  Mendels- 
sohn, on  the  23rd  of  September,  1853,  the  pure 
life  of  Cecile  came  to  a  close,  after  endurin«- 

'  O 

intense  sufferings,  in  the  midst  of  which  the 
patient  invalid  offered  a  bright  example  of 
pious  resignation  to  her  family. 

A  very  dear  friend  of  the  beautiful  Cecile 
assured  me  that  her  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  him 
who  ever  dwelt  in  her  memory  was  quite  in- 
consolable, though,  like  every  heartfelt  grief, 
not  demonstrative  ;  but  her  life  was  gradually 
consumed  by  this  secret  corroding  misery. 
She  also  saw  one  of  her  children  die — her 
youngest  son,  Felix,  followed  his  father.  She 
bore  her  double  bereavement  with  uncomplain- 
ing and  silent  resign-ation.  She  seldom  spoke 
of  her  ardent  longing  for  those  who  had  pre- 
ceded her  to  the  grave — a  longing  with  which, 
however,  she  reproached  herself,  for  the  sake 
of  her  beloved  children,  for  whom  she  hence- 
forth exclusively  lived.  She  became  even 
more  and  more  absorbed  in  the  remembrance 
of  the  brilliant  past — those  days  of  rare  feli  • 
city.  Alas  !  such  recollections  in  misery  are, 


260         KEMINISCENCES    OF    MENDELSSOHN. 

according  to  the  words  of  the  poet,  the  most 
painful  of  all : — 

Nessun  maggior  dolore 

Che  ricordarsi  del  tempo  felice 

Nella  miseria. 

To  the  last  moment  of  her  life  she  was 
serene,  lovely,  pious,  and  resigned,  controlling 
her  feelings  in  the  most  heroic  way,  for  the 
sake  of  her  own  fond  mother,  who  tended  her 
child  with  such  touching  affection.  Sur- 
rounded by  her  loving  and  lamenting  children, 
one  fine  autumnal  evening,  the  pure  soul  of 
Cecile  drew  its  latest  breath  in  her  native  city 
— Frankfort. 

Let  us  place  a  wreath  on  the  last  resting- 
place  of  the  devoted  wife  of  the  deceased 
master — not  of  laurel  or  palm,  such  as  decked 
his  grave — no!  a  wreath  in  harmony  with 
her  modest  retiring  nature.  Ludwig  Berger's 
"  Violet  Song  "  hovers  before  my  soul  when  I 
think  of  Cecile — a  song  that  Mendelssohn  so 
dearly  loved : — 

Spirit-broken,  what  have  I 

To  do  with  hopes  or  fears  ? 

No  dread  have  1  for  future  years. 
No  hope  except  to  die. 


THE    CLO<K.  201 

Yet  flrst  I  will  bedeck  her  tomb, 

Not  with  the  rosemary  of  gloom, 

But  violets  of  sweet  perfume, 
And  water  them  with  tears. 

My  book  bears  for  its  motto  a  verse  of  Gei- 
bel's  highly  poetical  elegy.  It  confirms  in  the 
most  eloquent  manner  what  1  have  striven  to 
show  forth — that  never  did  a  more  ideal  man, 
or  more  ideal  artist,  tread  this  earth  than  our 
beloved  and  never-to-be-forgotten  Felix  Men- 
delssohn ! 


APPENDICES. 


No.  I. 
UNPUBLISHED  LETTERS 

OP 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHN-BARTIIOLDY. 


l. 

,  Dfisschlorf, 

LEIPZIG,  October  31,  1835. 

(While  the  bells  are  sweetly  ringing  for  the  Reformation 
Feast.) 

DEAR  HILDEBRAXDT  : 

Those  were  indeed  pleasant  times  when  you  could  daily 
come  to  the  window  and  have  a  peep  at  me  at  break- 
fast, and  thus  at  once  give  a  pleasant  beginning  to  the 
day  ;  and  often  have  I  thought  of  it  since,  when  I  have 
been  breakfasting  alone,  alas!  and  undisturbed.  More- 
over, I  ouirht  not  just  now  to  read  through  your  letter 
and  Schirmer's  if  I  am  cordially  to  praise  my  new 
abode ;  for,  indeed,  I  find  no  compensation  here  for  the 
many  happy  hours  we  passed  together,  nor  even  any- 
thing to  remind  me  of  them.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
must  confess  that  I  now  first  discover  what  a  vast  deal, 
in  a  musical  point  of  view,  I  was  cut  off  from  at  Dilssel- 
dorf,  and  how  much  unnecessary  worry  I  endured  about 


APPENDIX. 

many  things,  not  to  be  effected  by  individual  good- will, 
and  how  entirely  I  am  satisfied  with  my  public  func- 
tions here.  The  institution  of  the  concerts  which  I  ani 
engaged  in,  has  been  founded  more  than  fifty  years;  all 
is  going  on  in  regular  good  order,  though  there  are  some 
old-fashioned  traditional  customs  that  I  find  almost 
touching,  as  indicative  of  the  past,  just  as  I  might  take 
pleasure  in  the  pigtail  or  perruque  of  some  gentleman 
of  the  olden  day.  The  orchestra,  however,  are  chiefly 
young  and  full  of  life,  the  playing  unusually  steady,  and, 
moreover,  some  celebrated  musicians  among  them.  I 
have  heard  some  of  my  Overtures  given  here  with  more 
ensemble  and  precision  than  I  ever  did  before ;  and  have 
also  the  satisfaction  of  observing  that  in  the  evenings 
they  understand,  and  instantaneously  execute,  every 
suggestion  or  hint  of  my  baton.  If  you  compare  this 
with  many  of  the  rehearsals  and  performances  we  have 
attended  together,  you  may  well  believe  that  I  am  better 
off  here  so  far  as  music  is  concerned.  But  if  even  a 
fragment  of  the  Academy  of  Painters  could  be  trans- 
ferred to  Leipzig  when  larks  are  in  season,  life  here 
would  be  far  merrier.  No  chance  of  this,  however,  so  I 
strive  to  live  retired,  and  to  work  busily.  If  I  can  man- 
age it,  I  intend  to  set  out  in  the  spring,  and  to  take  a 
walking  tour  for  a  couple  of  months ;  that  in  any  event 
I  shall  then  come  to  Dilsseldorf,  and  some  fine  morning 
peep  in  to  see  how  my  friend  the  painter  dispatches  his 
breakfast,  is  an  absolute  certainty.  A  vast  amount  of 
suow  and  hail,  and  fifteen  subscription  concerts  (five 


APPENDIX.  267 

being  over)  still  intervene  between  us  and  that  time,  and 
I  trust  many  a  letter  from  you,  but  worst  of  all,  how- 
ever, a  couple  of  long  months.  Still,  even  now  the 
thought  cheers  me,  and  I  eagerly  dwell  on  it.  ... 

You  wrote  too  little  about  yourself  and  your  belong- 
ings; so  I  do  beg  of  you,  dear  Uollenbart,  to  make  up  for 
this,  and  tell  me  what  your  family  are  doing — whether 
the  Princes*  still  exist,  or  are  by  this  time  murdered,  and 
what  pictures  are  in  your  head  ;  let  me  hear  of  the  Scha- 
dows,  and  of  you  all,  and  also  of  the  theater  and  Immer- 
maun,  as  it  all  interests  me;  of  the  Singverein  and  the 
"  Rath  der  Alien,"  f  and,  above  all,  do  write  again  soon. 
With  cordial  remembrances  to  you  and  yours, 

I  am  yours,  F.  M.-B. 

2. 

To  Fftedrich  Wilhtlm  wn  SclMdow,  Dtisseldorf. 

BERLIN,  August  9,  1835. 

DEAR  HERR  DIRECTOR  :  I  cannot  resist  writing  you  a 
few  lines  from  here — first  of  all,  to  inform  you  of  the 
perfect  health  of  your  father,  whom  I  saw  yesterday. 
The  first  few  days  after  our  safe  arrival  passed  away, 
and  I  repeatedly  missed  your  father ;  but  he  came  here 
yesterday  evening,  and  was  in  as  gay  a  mood,  and  as 
fresh  as  I  ever  saw  him.  He  indeed  complains  of  his 

*  The  Sons  of  Edward  IV.,  painted  by  Hildebrandt,  the  progress 
of  which  had  been  assisted  by  Mendelssohn's  zealous  criticism, 
t  The  head  society  in  Dfisseldorf. 


268  APPENDIX. 

eyes,  but  he  goes  about  the  streets  quite  alone  in  the  eve- 
nings, without  any  difficulty ;  he  at  once  recognizes 
people  in  a  room,  and,  as  I  said  before,  he  is  so  cheerful 
and  good-humored  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  him.  He 
complained  of  want  of  rain  causing  an  exhalaison  in  the 
town,  which  is  an  abomination  to  him.  When  I  asked 
him  what  the  musical  section  of  the  Academy  was  doing, 
he  replied,  "Nothing  at  all,  my  lad  !  "  Then  he  went 
on  to  tell  me  about  artists,  and  the  Art  Union,  and  a 
hundred  clubs — a  Monday  club,  a  chess  club,  and  all  the 
others — in  short,  he  is  exactly  the  same  as  when  I  first 
knew  him  long  ago.  I  too  have  the  happiness  of  finding 
that  people  here  think  my  father  looking  better  than  he 
lias  done  for  long.  The  journey  was  anxious,  tiresome 
work,  and  doubly  so  because  my  father  became  very  un- 
well in  Cassel,  and  was  in  very  bad  humor,  to  which 
the  slowness  of  the  journey,  the  rapid  changes  from 
heat  to  cold,  and  the  intolerable  dust,  all  contributed ; 
and  he  was  likewise  harassed  by  his  solicitude  as  to  how 
my  mother  would  be  able  to  bear  the  journey  ;  and  so 
you  may  imagine  how  I  thanked  God  when  at  length 
Steglitz  and  Schoneberg  and  the  Gensdarnithurrne  came 
in  sight.  But  the  first  days  here,  too,  were  far  from  agree- 
able ;  were  obliged  to  decline  seeing  a  number  of  visitors, 
though  some  came  and  made  their  way  in  through  the 
garden-door,  whom  we  were  obliged,  with  many  com- 
pliments, to  bow  out  civilly,  which  of  course  they  had 
no  right  to  take  amiss ;  then  came  the  Berlin  Revolu- 
tion, which  I  feared  might  alarm  my  mother,  although 


APPENDIX.  269 

she  was  by  no  means  much  alarmed,  after  all.  The 
former  home  comforts  for  my  parents  are  only  now  re- 
stored, so  that  we  may  for  the  first  time  say  that  the 
journey  is  over,  and  happily  over.  I  shall  have  to  re- 
main here  about  eight  days,  and  then  go  to  Leipzig ;  but 
whether  I  shall  have  any  spare  time  to  go  to  Frankfort 
in  September  I  cannot  yet  say,  but  would  be  only  too 
glad  were  it  so ;  and  then,  if  I  really  got  as  far  as  Frank- 
fort in  September,  I  should  inevitably  have  to  come  by 
the  steamboat  to  visit  you  for  a  couple  of  days.  But,  as 
I  said  before,  I  consider  this  rather  problematical,  though 
I  should  like  it  so  much  before  laying  myself  up  in 
lavender  or  in  pickle  (or  whatever  you  like  to  call  it)  for 
the  winter  in  Leipzig.  I  write  nothing  whatever  about 
Berlin.  You  know  what  has  happened,  and  it  is  not 
cheering  ;  no  doubt,  also,  you  already  have  all  possible 
details  of  the  great  Revolution  of  1835  in  Berlin ;  it  is 
said  that  150  young  ruffians  were  arrested,  and  50 
other  persons.  AVliat  they  wanted  is  made  clear  as  the 
day  by  the  investigation  :  first,  to  send  up  rockets  ;  not 
being  allowed  to  do  this,  their  object  was  to  teaze  and 
irritate  the  military,  and  they  stuck  pins  into  the  horses 
of  the  dragoon^,  and  so  forth,  on  which  everybody 
thrashed  everybody  else  ;  all  the  lamps  "  unter  den 
Linden  "  were  smashed,  all  the  benches  demolished, 
numbers  of  windows  broken,  one  of  Kranzler's  (the  con- 
fectioner) shops  sacked,  while  the  populus  shouted, 
"  Coine  on,  we'll  eat  ices  too !  "  The  whole  of  Berlin 
flocked  to  the  spot,  and  looked  on  at  the  revolution,  and 


2  TO  APPENDIX. 

next  day  a  mass  of  young  apprentice-boys  went  about 
singing, 

Let  us  victory's  wreath  display, 
No  window  shall  be  whole  to-day  1 

When  I  also  add  that  Berlin  is  split  into  two  parties 
on  the  subject,  the  one  compassionating  the  military  and 
abusing  the  mob,  the  other  compassionating  the  mob 
and  abusing  the  military,  and  that  all  the  world  are 
looking  forward  to  the  approaching  fishing-feast  at 
Stralau,  and  making  bets  whether  it  will  pass  off  peace- 
fully or  not — then  I  may  say  that  I  have  portrayed  the 
Berlin  Revolution,  at  which  I  was  present,  with  as  much 
historical  truth  as  ever  Ranke  did  the  Middle  Ages. 
By  way  of  postscript,  I  must  inform  you  that  it  is  said  the 
windows  of  Princess  Liegnitz  have  been  broken,  and 
Duke  Karl's  hat  knocked  off,  and  that  on  the  Lange 
Brucke  one  young  scamp  said  to  the  sentry,  "  Just  you 
get  out  of  the  way,  I  have  got  this  lamp  to  smash."  If 
your  spirit  does  not  wax  patriotic  after  that,  I  am  much 
mistaken.  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you,  dear  Herr  Di- 
rector, regarding  the  money  I  inclose.  During  my  stay 
in  Dilsseldorf  I  was  anxious  to  contribute  a  certain  sum 
to  the  collections  made  weekly  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
and  decided  on  sending  them  my  next  Jwnorarium  ;  it 
was,  however,  a  long  time  coming,  for  I  only  received  it 
a  few  days  ago  here.  I  would  therefore  beg  of  you  to 
get  the  inclosed  cheque  cashed,  and  to  give  the  money 
in  my  name  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Dlisseldorf ;  but 
it  is  my  wish  that  in  case  the  acknowledgments  I  have 


APPENDIX.  271 

often  read  in  the  newspapers  are  still  continued,  my 
name  may  not  be  mentioned.  Pray  excuse  my  giving 
you  this  trouble,  but  I  did  not  like  to  risk  sending  the 
money  by  post.  I  am  told  that  we  have  acquired  two 
beautiful  new  pictures  in  the  Museum  here,  which  I  have 
heard  highly  praised — one  a  Murillo,  the  other  a  Zur- 
baran. 

3. 

To  Friedr'ch  Wilhdm  von  Schadow. 

LEIPZIG,  October  31,  1&3C. 

DEAU  HERR  DIRECTOR:  I  must  ask  your  forgiveness 
for  my  long  silence  ;  but  after  all,  if  you  are  angry  with 
me,  you  will  not  read  my  excuses.  In  truth,  I  find  it 
difficult  even  now  to  write  to  you  on  a  subject  that  we 
discussed  together  so  much  during  our  dreary  Dutch 
d:»ys,  for  I  must  either  have  written  you  everything,  and 
thus  exhausted  your  patience,  or  have  said  nothing  but 
"  I  am  betrothed  to  Cecile  Jeanrenaud."  The  latter  I 
should  undoubtedly  have  written  to  you  at  once,  had  I 
not  been  strictly  prohibited  doing  so  by  the  family ;  it 
was  to  be  a  profound  secret,  and  it  is  only  since  I  came 
here  that  I  find  every  one  knows  it,  and  now  I  feel  posi- 
tively ashamed  to  write  you  such  stale  news  so  late  in 
the  day.  To  me,  indeed,  it  is  ever  quite  new,  and  every 
day  newer  and  more  charming,  for  every  day  I  see  more 
unlooked-for  and  delightful  effects  from  my  great  happi- 
ness ;  but  still  it  is  always  mortifying  to  be  obliged  to 
entreat  to  be  forgiven  as  humbly  as  I  now  do.  I  rely 


2  72  APPENDIX. 

much  on  your  old  and  tried  kindness  and  friendship  for 
me ;  otherwise  indeed  I  should  scarcely  have  ventured 
to  approach  you  in  writing,  but  have  waited  to  make 
my  excuses  in  person,  when  perhaps  Cecile  would  have 
come  to  my  aid. 

I  have,  too,  another  plea  to  bring  forward  in  my  justi- 
fication, which  is  that  I  never  had  so  many  or  such  fatigu- 
ing labors  as  since  my  return  here,  so  that  hitherto  I 
have  only  been  able  to  write  once  to  my  sister,  and  not 
even  once  to  the  greater  portion  of  my  most  intimate 
friends.  During  the  last  four  weeks  I  have  conducted 
eight  concerts,  and  about  twenty  rehearsals,  and,  more- 
over, next  week  there  is  to  be  a  grand  church  perform- 
ance of ''  Israel  in  Egypt "  with  the  organ,  and  a  concert 
every  week  up  to  Christmas,  for  which  I  have  to  make 
out  the  programme,  and  organize  everything.  I  wish, 
too,  that  my  own  works  should  progress  ;  then  I  have 
occasional  pupils  who  occupy  me  daily  for  a  couple  of 
hours ;  and  lastly,  a  number  of  strangers  who  are  coming 
this  way,  and  whose  stay  is  brief,  which  is  the  most  em- 
barrassing thing  of  all.  Last  week,  for  example,  Eduard 
Bendemann  was  here  for  three  days,  and  accompanied 
me  faithfully  to  my  "  Israel "  rehearsals  and  others.  I 
need  not  tell  you  how  I  rejoiced  in  being  with  him,  nor 
how  repeatedly  we  discussed  the  pro  and  contra  of  the 
Dresden  Directorship,  as  well  as  others,  though  without 
coming  to  any  fixed  result.  On  the  day  of  his  depar- 
ture, HaupUnaun,  from  Cassel,  a  kind  musical  friend  of 
mine,  suddenly  appeared,  and  stayed  two  days ;  then 


APPENDIX.  273 

my  cousin  from  Aix  passed  through  with  his  whole 
family  ;  and  the  same  day  arrived  the  young  Englishman 
Bennett,  who  intends  to  remain  here  the  whole  winter; 
nnd  tinally,  yesterday,  came  Bcrgcr,  my  first  pianoforte 
teacher,  and  called  on  me ;  and  thus  it  goes  on  day  by 
day.  And  yet  I  would  give  my  life  to  be  at  the  Fahr- 
thor  at  Frankfort,  and  to  kt  concerts  alone,  and  not  be 
obliged  to  wait  till  Christmas,  when  I  intend  certainly 
to  be  in  Frankfort,  though  only  for  ten  days,  for  on  the 
1st  of  January  I  must  be  here  again,  working  away  at 
music  till  Easter,  which  is  so  very  obliging  to  me  as  to 
fall  very  early  next  year,  so  there  is  a  good  time  corning 
for  me.  But  when  the  last  concert  is  over,  I  intend, 
God  willing,  to  get  into  a  carriage  at  once,  and  set  off. 
Whether  I  shall  be  here  next  winter,  or  elsewhere,  is 
still  quite  uncertain. 

I  should  like  to  have  seen  the  Exhibition  in  Berlin 
(and  still  more  my  own  family);  but  that,  too,  must  be 
deferred,  as  I  cannot  find  the  time  requisite  for  even  so 
short  an  absence.  It  is  very  evident  that  under  such 
circumstances  I  cannot  properly  cultivate  the  plastic 
arts  according  to  the  principles  I  acquired  at  the  Hague, 
and  my  men  and  women  have  exactly  the  same  disloca- 
ted arms  and  legs  that  they  had  before  you  took  the 
trouble  to  set  their  limbs  again. 

May  I   beg  of  you   to  give  many  kind  and  cordial 

wishes  from  me  to  your  good  wife?     I  know  that  she 

will  sincerely  sympathize  with  my  joy,  and  I  hope  that 

she  is  satisfied  with  me  for  huving  so  well  profited  by 

9* 


27-i  APPENDIX. 

her  advice.  My  happiness  is  due  more  to  my  good  for- 
tune than  to  my  good  sense — at  least,  there  are  often 
times  when  I  cannot  at  all  understand  how  I  have  at- 
tained such  felicity;  meanwhile,  that  it  is  mine  in 
reality  I  can  no  longer  doubt,  and  every  fresh  letter 
thence  confirms  this  anew.  As  I  have  hitherto  acted  so 
entirely  in  accordance  with  the  counsels  of  the  Frau 
Directorin,  I  think  I  may  venture  to  ask  her  a  little 
favor,  which  is  to  let  me  have  here  for  a  few  days  that 
sketch  of  mine  of  Amalfi,  in  Indian  ink,  now  in  her 
album ;  you  know,  dear  Herr  Director,  that  I  was  for- 
merly very  anxious  to  copy  it  for  my  bride  (it  must  be  this 
particular  view,  because  a  legend  is  attached  to  it),  but 
could  not  get  it  at  the  time,  the  book  being  locked  up. 
You  will  therefore  confer  a  great  pleasure  on  me  if  you 
will  send  me  the  drawing,  and  allow  me  to  keep  it  to 
copy  till  Christmas,  when  I  will  return  it  without  fail, 
and  with  many  thanks.  I  scarcely  dare  to  hope  for  a 
few  lines  in  return,  dear  Herr  Director,  for  I  know  your 
time  scarcely  admits  of  it,  and  I  also  dread  being 
soundly  scolded,  but  I  must  once  more  entreat  you  not 
to  withdraw  your  friendship  from  me,  and  not  to  be 
angry  with  me,  and  to  believe  that  always,  even  in  the 
most  momentous  period  of  my  life,  I  am,  and  ever  shall 
be,  your  devoted 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHN. 


Ari'KMHX.  275 

4. 
To  Herr  Schloss,  Cologne. 

THE  HAGUE,  August  7, 1836. 

SIR  :  In  compliance  with  the  wish  expressed  in  your 
esteemed  letter,  which  I  did  not  receive  till  yesterday 
here,  I  now  give  you  in  writing  my  opinion  of  the 
musical  talent  of  your  daughter,  and  shall  rejoice  if  I 
can  thus  in  any  degree  contribute  to  her  welfare  and  her 
future  career.  I  am,  with  esteem,  your  obedient 

FELIX  MENDELSSOIIX-BARTHOLDY 

Testimonial. 

THE  HAGUE,  August  7, 1S3G. 

M'lle  Sophie  Schloss,  whom  I  had  the  opportunity 
of  hearing  some  months  ago  in  Diisseldorf,  possesses  a 
remarkably  fine,  powerful,  melodious,  mezzo-soprano 
voice,  which  in  purity  and  clearness  of  tone  leaves  little 
to  be  desired.  Not  having  hitherto  had  any  chance  of 
properly  cultivating  this  fine  organ,  it  is  highly  desirable 
that  she  should  have  an  opportunity  of  perfecting  her- 
self in  the  technical  part  of  singing,  both  in  execution, 
nnd  in  the  mode  of  rendering  and  pronouncing.  As  her 
voice  also  seems  flexible  and  sympathetic,  and  she  is  ex- 
ceedingly musical,  I  am  convinced  that  with  a  good 
model  and  proper  instruction  she  will  become  a  most 
admirable  singer.  She  sings  well  and  correctly  at  sight, 
which  is  another  decisive  proof  of  her  musical  capacities, 
a  good  ear  being  combined  with  a  beautiful  organ. 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOIIX-BARTHOLDY. 


2  76  APPENDIX. 

6. 
To  Hcrr  Scliloss. 

LEIPZIG,  January  31,  1839. 

DEAR  SIR  :  I  was  happy  to  find  in  your  esteemed  let- 
ter tidings  of  the  progress  and  improvement  of  your 
daughter.  The  deficiency  in  distinguished  vocal  talent 
in  Germany  is  at  this  moment  so  great,  that  the  appear- 
ance of  anyone  conspicuous  in  this  department  will  bo 
joyfully  welcomed  on  all  sides.  If  your  daughter  is  dis- 
posed to  settle  here,  and  the  opinion  of  her  merits  ex- 
pressed in  your  letter  be  correct,  and  formed  from  inti- 
mate knowledge,  I  do  not  in  that  case  doubt  that  the 
directors  of  our  concerts  will  offer  her  an  advantageous 
engagement  from  next  autumn.  The  place  of  a  concert 
singer  chances  to  be  vacant  here  at  present,  and  if  your 
daughter  has  decided  on  this  profession,  she  could 
scarcely,  in  the  whole  of  Germany,  meet  with  a  more 
lucrative  or  agreeable  engagement.  It  would  be  a  source 
of  sincere  pleasure  to  me  to  procure  it  for  her ;  but  be- 
fore I  can  do  so,  or  recommend  her,  it  is  absolutely  in- 
dispensable that  I  should  hear  her  again  myself,  and  no 
doubt  there  will  soon  be  an  opportunity  for  this.  I  am 
going  to  the  Ehine  in  April,  and  beg  you  will  write  me 
a  line  to  say  whether  I  may  expect  to  meet  your  daugh- 
ter then  at  Cologne.  Should  that  be  the  case,  I  shall 
lose  no  time  in  at  once  paying  her  a  visit,  when  I  can 
also  confer  with  you  better  on  every  point  in  person 
than  by  writing  I  wouLl  willingly  give  you  a  letter  of 


APPENDIX.  L'77 

introduction  to  Herr  Guhr,  but  I  have  too  slight  a  per- 
sonal acquaintance  -with  him  to  do  so.  I  am,  Sir,  with 
esteem,  your  obedient 

FELIX  MENDZLSSOIIN-BARTHOLDY. 

6. 

To  Herr  Sch'»x*. 
FKANKFORT-OX-THE-MAIXE,  June  11,  1839. 

DEAR  SIR:  I  have  just  received  the  answer  to  iny 
letter  from  the  Directors  of  the  Leipzig  concerts  concern- 
ing your  daughter,  and  I  hasten  to  communicate  it  to 
you.  From  the  praise  I  bestowed  on  your  daughter's 
tah-nt,  and  could  not  fail  to  bestow  in  accordance  with 
truth  and  a  good  conscience,  the  Directors  write  that 
they  have  unanimously  resolved  to  offer  your  daughter 
an  engagement  for  the  approaching  winter's  concerts, 
hoping  that  she  may  be  disposed  to  conclude  a  longer 
and  more  important  one  for  the  following  years.  They 
offer  her  a  salary  of  400  dollars,  and  60  dollars  for  trav- 
eling expenses,  and  further,  their  aid  and  support  in  the 
prosecution  of  her  vocal  studies,  during  or  after  the  first 
season,  in  Dresden,  under  the  guidance  of  Cicimara,  or 
some  other  experienced  teacher  of  singing,  and  they  hope 
that  these  proposals  may  prove  acceptable.  There  are 
twenty  concerts  in  the  course  of  the  season,  which  suc- 
ceed each  other  almost  every  week,  and  continue  from 
the  first  Sunday  after  Michaelmas  till  the  week  before 
Easter.  Your  daughter  would  have  to  sing  in  some  an 
aria  and  a  cavatina,  in  others  an  aria  and  a  morceau 


273  APPENDIX. 

^ensemble,  or  possibly  only  an  ensemble  piece  ;  the  more 
arias  and  cavatinas,  therefore,  that  she  studies  correctly 
and  carefully,  the  better. 

So  much  for  the  commission  of  the  Concert  Direction. 
I  hope  it  may  be  satisfactory  to  you,  and  am  convinced 
that  if  your  daughter  accepts  the  offer,  she  will  be  con- 
tented with  her  residence  at  Leipzig;  anything  I  can  do 
to  contribute  to  this  shall  be  gladly  done  ;  and  in  every 
respect  the  winter  here  is  not  devoid  of  interest,  as  most 
of  the  distinguished  artists  visit  Leipzig  in  order  to  be 
heard  there,  so  that  in  few  places  is  there  a  better  oppor- 
tunity to  cultivate  and  to  develop  ability  and  taste.  It 
would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  know  that  the  Concert 
Institute  possessed  so  fine  a  talent,  and  I  am  certain  that 
all  the  Directors  will  agree  with  me  in  this  respect.  On 
the  other  hand,  I  trust  that  your  daughter,  more  espe- 
cially if  she  makes  a  longer  stay  in  the  Institute,  will 
take  pleasure  in  it,  and  like  being  there. 

I  beg  you  will  send  me  your  answer  here  as  soon  as 
possible,  to  the  care  of  Heir  Souchay,  and  I  am,  with 
esteem,  yours, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

7. 
To  Sophie  Schtoss,  Leipzig. 

LEIPZIG,  September  33, 1839. 

MY  DEAR  YOUNG  LADY  :  I  thought  I  had  already  men- 
tioned to  you  in  Frankfort  that  the  Concert  Directors 
here  make  it  a  condition  with  the  singers  they  engage, 


APPENDIX.  279 

that  they  are  not  to  sing  in  any  public  concerts,  except 
in  the  subscription  ones,  so  long  as  their  engagement 
lasts.  Whether  I  did  not  express  myself  distinctly,  or 
whether  you  did  not  hear  me,  I  cannot  say,  but  at  all 
events  it  is  a  stipulation  which  has  hitherto  always  been 
enforced  on  others,  and  of  course  will  be  so  in  your  case 
also.  Exceptions  might  indeed  be  made  irftfi  tin  <•/>//.«  nt 
of  the  l)ii-f<'i<>rx,  and  it  would  be  particularly  agreeable  to 
me  that  such  should  be  the  case  in  llerr  i'anof  ka's  con- 
cert in  particular ;  I  will  therefore  make  the  necessary 
application  myself  to  the  Directors,  and  endeavor  to  gain 
their  consent.  In  the  conference,  however,  from  which 
I  have  just  returned,  a  directly  contrary  opinion  was 
distinctly  given,  so  I  beg  you  on  no  account  to  pledge 
yourself  either  to  llerr  Panof  ka,  or  to  any  one  else,  till 
I  can  inform  you  more  minutely  of  what  may  occur  in 
the  course  of  to-morrow.  I  am  yours  with  high  esteem, 
FEI,IX  MENDELSSOIIN-BARTIIOLDY. 

8. 
To  Sophie  ScJiloss,  Cologne. 

LEIPZIG.  July  23, 1841. 

MY  DEAR  Youxo  LADY  :  Difficult  as  it  is  to  give  really 
good  and  serviceable  advice  on  so  important  an  affair  as 
the  one  to  which  you  allude,  still  I  do  not  hesitate  to  give 
you  mjr  honest  opinion  on  the  point,  were  it  only  in  or- 
der to  prove  to  you  the  interest  I  have  always  taken,  and 
always  shall  take,  in  all  that  concerns  yourself  and  your 


280  APPENDIX. 

talent.  As  you  are  resolved  to  go  on  the  stage,  the  offer 
of  an  engagement  from  Weimar  seems  to  be  highly  satis- 
factory, and  were  I  in  your  place  I  slnuld  certainly  en- 
deavor to  secure  it  at  once.  You  will  there  have  an 
opportunity  of  spending  the  most  trying  time  for  a 
theatrical  artist — I  mean  the  first  years  on  the  stage — in 
a  good  school,  under  the  guidance  of  experienced  artists, 
and  appear  before  a  cultivated,  and  yet  not  too  exac'ing, 
public.  When  these  are  once  over,  and  happily  over 
everything  is  gained ;  but  on  that  very  account  it  is 
most  important  to  pass  those  first  years  in  a  well-man- 
aged theater,  where  you  have  plenty  of  work  and  good 
stage  practice.  All  this  is  the  case  in  Weimar;  but,  if  I 
am  not  mistaken,  the  salaries  are  very  small.  In  my  opin- 
ion, therefore,  during  the  first  two  years,  or  the  first  year  at 
all  events,  you  ought  to  be  as  moderate  as  possible  in  youi 
demands ;  only  ask  just  enough  to  be  able  to  live  OH 
your  salary,  as  many  young  singers  during  the  first  j-ears 
sing  without  any  payment,  merely  in  order  to  become 
familiar  with  stage  routine,  and  make  up  the  money  they 
thus  lose  by  subsequent  good  engagements,  which, 
when  you  have  acquired  experience,  you  are  certain  to 
get.  Were  I  in  your  position,  I  would  ask  about  600 
dollars,  though  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  excel  many 
singers  who  receive  more  than  double  that  sum ;  but  I 
am  anxious  you  should  not,  by  exorbitant  demands, 
deter  the  Directors  from  any  further  negotiations,  and 
thus  break  off  the  whole  affair,  which  I  should  consider 
a  great  misfortune  for  you  at  this  moment.  Pray  en- 


APPENDIX.  2S1 

deavor,  then,  to  come  to  terras  with  the  theater  at  Wei- 
mar, taking  advantage  of  this  early  and  most  important 
period  for  zealous  studies  and  persevering  exertions,  and 
may  Heaven  guide  you  to  peace  and  happiness  on  the 
path  you  are  now  entering,  and  to  the  harmonious  de- 
velopment of  your  talents.  I  am,  with  sincere  esteem, 

yours, 

FELIX  MKNDEL^SOHN-BAKTUOLDY. 

9. 

To  Sophie  Scftlons,  Leipzig. 

LEIPZIG,  December  -29. 1842. 

MY  DEAR  YOUNG  LADY:  I  beg  you  will  send  me  the 
Duett  we  were  speaking  of  from  "  Lucia  : "  and  as  you 
seem  disposed  to  remain  here  for  the  next  concert,  I  in 
that  case  request  you  to  study  and  to  prepare  for  it  the 
Aria  with  pianoforte  by  Mozart,  the  part  of  "  Fidalma" 
in  the  Trio  of  the  "Matrimonio  Segreto,"  "lo  faccio  un 
inchino,"  and  the  Septett  in  "Don  Juan"  that  I  re- 
cently sent  you.  Should  you  not  have  the  first  or  second 
piece,  I  will  procure  them  for  you.  With  sincere  esteem, 

yours, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BAKTHOLDY. 

10. 
To  Sophie  Schloxx. 

LEIPZIO,  November  2, 1»«5. 

MY  DKAK  YOCXG  LADY  :  As  a  rehearsal  in  the  theater 
here  renders  it  impossible  to  arrange  another  concert 
rehearsal  on  Thursday,  I  would  earnestly  request  you— 


282  APPENDIX. 

1.  To  be  in  the  Gewanclhaus  as  early  as  possible  on 
Wednesday  morning. 

2.  Most  carefully  previously  to  study  the  Finale  in 
"Euryanthe,"  that  you  may  be  quite  sure  of  the  time, 
notes,  etc.    It  is  a  difficult  piece,  and  on  Tuesday  we  are 
to  have  a  rehearsal  for  all  those  engaged  in  it.     If  you  are 
perfectly  sure  of  your  part,  it  will  go  well,  but  without 
that  it  cannot  possibly  do  so;  I  would  therefore  once 
more  urgently  entreat  you  to  devote  some  time  to  the 
study  of  this  piece.    "We  had  better  reserve  Mozart's 
Aria  for  one  of  our  future  concerts,  so  that  you  will  only 
have  to  co-operate  in  the  Finale  from  "  Earyanthe  "  next 
Thursday.    I  shall  therefore  the  more  confidently  expect 
the  fulfillment  of   the  wish  I  have  expressed  above. 
With  sincere  esteem,  yours, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

11. 
To  Sophie  ScJiloss. 

LEIPZIG,  March  26, 1S47. 

DEAR  YOUNG  LADY  :  I  could  not  manage  to  bring 
together  this  evening  the  eight  requisite  singers,  and 
therefore  beg  you  to  reserve  your  kind  assistance  for  one 
evening  next  week.  I  trust  you  will  comply  with  my 
wish,  and  on  that  occasion  sing  the  "  Angel "  as  well  as 
the  detestable  "  Queen,"  both  of  which  lie  within  the 
compass  of  your  voice,  but  the  former  I  think  far  the 
best.  Your  devoted 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 


APPENDIX.  283 

12. 

To  Sophie  Schloss. 

DEAR  YOCXG  LADY  :  Oh  heavens !  We  shall  go  on 
misunderstanding  each  other  from  Thursday  to  Monday. 

Now,  which  are  the  two  Arias  that  yon  wish  to  sing 
on  Thursday? — or  rather,  what  is  the  particular  one  you 
wish  to  sin.ir  in  mi'lition  to  that  of  Meyerbeer,  the  text  of 
>vhich  you  have  just  sent  me?  Is  it  the  one  from 
';  Oberon  ? "  or  if  that  does  not  quite  suit  you,  then 
choose  one  of  the  Italian  airs  you  sang  last  year.  To 
me  it  is  quite  the  same.  But  I  do  beg  you  will  let  me 
have  your  decision  by  the  bearer.  Your  devoted 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHX-BAKTHOLDY. 


No.  II. 
LETTERS  TO  MR.  BARTHOLOMEW,  ETC. 


1. 

To  Mr.  Alfred  Novetto. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  November  18, 1837. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  It  is  now  a  fortnight  since  your 
sister  first  appeared  here  in  public,  and  directly  after 
it  I  wanted  to  write  to  you,  and  give  you  a  full  account 
of  it,  and  only  to-day  I  have  leisure  enough  to  do  it. 
Excuse  it ;  but  although  it  is  late,  and  I  may  think  that 
you  heard  already  from  other  sides  of  all  the  details 
of  her  great  success  here,  I  cannot  help  writing  you  also 
on  the  subject;  and  before  all /should  "  triumph,"  be- 
cause you  know  that  you  were  my  enemy,*  and  that  my 
opinion  prevailed  only  with  great  difficulty,  and  that  it 
comes  now  out  how  well  I  knew  my  countrymen,  how 
well  they  appreciate  what  is  really  good  and  beautiful, 
and  what  a  service  to  all  the  lovers  of  music  has  been 
done  by  your  sisters,  coming  over  to  this  country.  I  do 
not  know  whether  she  thinks  the  same  of  my  opinion 
now  ;  I  am  sometimes  afraid  she  must  find  the  place  so 

*  In  allusion  to  Mr.  A.  Novello's  desire  that  his  sister  should  pro- 
ceed direct  to  Italy,  and  not  visit  Germany. 


APPENDIX.  285 

very  small  and  dull,  and  miss  her  splendid  Philharmonic 
band,  and  all  those  Marchionesses,  and  Duchesses,  and 
Lady  Patronesses,  who  look  so  beautifully  aristocrati- 
cally in  your  concert-rooms,  and  of  whom  we  have  a 
great  want.  But  if  being  really  and  heartily  liked  and 
loved  by  a  public,  and  being  looked  on  as  a  most  disiin- 
guished  and  eminent  talent,  must  also  convey  a  feeling 
of  pleasure  to  those  that  are  the  object  of  it,  I  am  sure 
that  your  sister  cannot  repent  her  resolution  of  accept- 
ing the  invitation  to  this  place,  and  must  be  glad  to  think 
of  the  delight  she  gave,  and  the  many  friends  she  made 
in  so  short  time,  and  in  a  foreign  country.  Indeed,  I 
never  heard  such  an  unanimous  expression  of  delight  as 
after  her  first  recitative,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see 
people  at  once  agreeing,  and  the  difference  of  opinion 
(which  must  always  prevail)  consisting  only  in  the  more 
or  less  praise  to  be  bestowed  on  her.  It  was  capital  that 
not  one  hand's  applause  received  her  when  she  first  ap- 
peared to  sing  "  Xon  piu  di  fiori,"  because  the  triumph 
after  the  recitative  was  the  greater;  the  room  rung  of  ap- 
plause, and  after  it  there  was  such  a  noise  of  conversa- 
tions, people  expressing  their  delight  to  each  other,  that 
not  a  note  of  the  whole  ritornello  could  be  heard  ;  then 
silence  was  again  restored ;  and  after  the  air,  which  she 
really  sang  better  and  with  more  expression  than  I  ever 
heard  from  her,  my  good  Leipzig  public  became  like 
mad,  and  made  a  most  tremendous  noise.  Since  that 
moment  she  was  the  declared  favorite  of  them  ;  they 
are  equally  delighted  with  her  clear  and  youthful  voice, 


286  APPENDIX. 

and  with  the  purity  and  good  taste  with  which  she  sings 
everything.  The  polacca  of  the  "  Puritani "  was  en- 
cored, which  is  a  rare  thing  in  our  concerts  here  ;  and  I 
am  quite  sure  the  longer  she  stays,  and  the  more  she  is 
heard,  the  more  she  will  become  a  favorite,  because  she 
possesses  just  those  two  qualities  of  which  the  public 
is  particularly  fond  here — purity  of  intonation  and  a 
thoroughbred  musical  feeling.  I  must  also  add,  that  I 
never  heard  her  to  greater  advantage  than  at  these  two 
concerts,  and  that  I  liked  her  singing  infinitely  better  than 
ever  I  did  before;  whether  it  might  be  that  the  smaller 
room  suits  her  better,  or  perhaps  the  foreign  air,  or 
•whether  it  is  that  I  am  partial  to  everything  in  this 
country  (which  is  also  not  unlikely),  but  I  really  think 
her  much  superior  to  what  I  have  heard  her  before.  And 
therefore  I  am  once  more  glad  that  I  conquered  you, 
my  enemy. 

They  are  now  in  correspondence  with  the  Court  of 
Dessau  and  with  Berlin,  whereto  they  intend  to  go  dur- 
ing the  intervals  of  the  concerts  here;  I  hope,  however, 
that  their  stay  will  be  prolonged  as  much  as  possible. 
We  had  Vieuxtemps  here,  who  delighted  the  public; 
we  also  expect  Blagrove  in  the  beginning  of  January. 
Charles  Kemble  with  his  daughter  Adelaide  passed  also 
by  this  place,  but  she  did  not  sing  in  public,  only  at  a 
party  at  my  house.  Has  Mr.  Coventry  received  my  let- 
ter, and  the  one  for  Bennett  I  sent  him  ?  And  have 
you  received  the  parcel  with  my  Concerto,  which  Breit- 
kopf  &  Hartel  promised  to  send  in  great  haste  ?  Do  you 


AI'l'KMH.Y. 

see  Mr.  Klingcmann  sometimes  ?  And  how  is  music 
going  on  in  England?  Or  had  you  no  time  to  think 
now  of  anything  else  than  the  Guildhall  puddings  ami 
pies,  and  the  500  pine-apples  which  the  Queen  ate  there, 
as  a  French  paper  has  it  V  If  you  s,>e  Mr.  Aitwood,  will 
you  tell  him  my  best  compliment:-  and  wishes,  and  that 
a  very  great  cause  of  regret  to  me  is  my  not  havinir  In  en 
able  to  meet  him  at  my  last  stay  in  England.  And  now 
the  paper  is  over,  and  consequently  the  letter  also. 
Excuse  its  style,  which  is  probably  very  German.  My 
kindest  regard  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarke,  and  my  hot 
thanks  for  his  kind  letter  and  the  papers  he  sent  me  by 
Miss  Novello.  And  now  good-bye,  and  be  as  well  and 
happy  as  I  always  wish  you  to  he.  Very  truly  yours, 
MK.NDKLSSOHN-BAUTIIOLDY.  . 


About  1840  Mr.  Bartholomew  was  told  by  Mr.  Buxton 
(then  the  sole  proprietor  of  the  eminent  house  known 
as  Ewer  &  Co.)  that  Mendelssohn  had  never  been  able 
to  meet  with  a  libretto  which  pleased  him,  either  in 
Germany  or  England,  and  advised  Mr.  Bartholomew  to 
make  the  attempt.  Mr.  Bartholomew  wrote  one  of  a 
fairy-like  character,  entitled  "  A  Christmas  Night's 
Dream/'  Although  it  did  not  wholly  satisfy  the  gifted 
composer,  it  led  to  a  lasting  friendship,  and  caused 
Mendelssohn  to  place  everything  in  Mr.  Bartholomew's 
hands  for  English  versions  until  the  time  of  his  lamented 
death,  as  the  following  letters  will  prove. — Note  by  Mrs. 
Bartholomew. 


288  APPENDIX. 

2. 

To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

BERLIN,  October  4,  1841. 

SIR  :  You  have  given  me  a  very  great  treat  by  send- 
iag  me  the  libretto  of  your."  Christinas  Night's  Dream," 
in  which  I  found  so  many  and  so  striking  poetical  beau- 
ties that  I  really  cannot  sufficiently  express  to  you  my 
admiration  and  my  sincere  gratitude  for  it.  The  only 
objection  I  have  to  it  is  one  which  Mr.  Kliugemann 
most  likely  had  in  view  when  he  wrote  the  words  to 
which  you  allude  in  your  letter,  but  which  he  does  not 
seem  to  have  expressed,  as  I  feel  it.  He  calls  it  monot- 
ony, and  finds  fault  with  the  subject  itself — with  the 
fairies  and  all  their  kindred.  I  cannot  share  this  opin- 
ion ;  but  I  think  that  the  elements,  as  you  conceive  them, 
could  have  been  treated  in  a  more  dramatic  way.  lu 
the  course  of  the  first  act,  Earth  is  spoken  of  as  a  con- 
trast to  the  fairy  region  ;  Amor  is  several  times  warned 
of  the  cares  of  mortals,  of  their  misery,  their  wants,  etc. ; 
yet  these  are  not  brought  forward  in  the  subsequent  ac- 
tion, for  the  separation  which  he  must  endure  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  third  act  is  not  what  we  imagine  alone 
when  we  hear  those  words  in  the  first  act,  and  besides, 
we  see  immediately  that  the  separation  is  only  a  whim 
of  Oberon,  which  has  no  necessity  in  itself,  and  conies 
too  late  in  the  course  of  the  drama  to  excite  real  fear  or 
compassion. 

Also,  the  fairies  I  think  would  come  out  much  better 


APPENDIX.  289 

if  a  real  earthly  life  would  have  b?en  opposed  to  their 
fanciful  one.  The  beautiful  verses  themselves,  and  the 
imaginative  songs  the}-  sing,  seem  to  demand  such  a 
contrast,  and  can  only  produce  the  impression  which 
they  ought  when  combined  with  those  earthly  elements. 
Bottom  and  his  company  are  certainly  essential  to  the 
fanciful  impression  produced  by  the  "  Midsummer  Night's 
Dream,"  and  they  are  not  only  the  first  but  the  second 
contrast  to  the  fairies,  Theseus  and  the  lovers  forming 
the  first.  Something  like  this  is  what  I  want  in  your 
libretto,  and  the  only  thing  I  want  in  it.  Without  such 
a  contrast  I  doubt  that  it  could  form  a  truly  effective 
Opera,  at  least  I  do  not  think  myself  equal  to  it. 

But  the  delightful  details  in  which  it  abounds  have  so 
thoroughly  fascinated  me,  that  I  hope  and  trust  I  shall 
one  clay  have  the  good  luck  of  writing  my  music  to  3rour 
beautiful  words.  The  duet  of  Puck  and  Amor,  when 
the  first  asks  him  all  sorts  of  questions,  the  delightful 
opening  scene  of  the  second  act  with  the  bird's  language, 
the  fairies'  song  with  the  lovers'  duet  after  it,  Eudora's 
waking  afterward,  are  true  gems  which  it  is  impossible 
to  read  without  emotion,  without  thinking  of  music,  and 
without  thanking  the  poet  who  invented  them.  I  do 
not  know  whether  you  will  think  of  altering  this  libretto, 
for  it  would  not  only  be  a  very  difficult  task,  but  the 
question  also  is  whether  my  impression  is  not  only  a 
personal  one,  and  whether  others  would  not  judge  it  in 
quite  different  a  way.  At  all  events,  let  me  hope,  as  I 
said  before,  that  I  may  once  be  happy  enough  to  find  a 
10 


290  APPENDIX. 

libretto  which  unites  the  dramatic  development  which  I 
have  in  my  idea  to  so  extraordinary  poetical  beauties,  so 
musical  verses,  and  such  a  fine  and  noble  feeling  as  that 
which  pervades  your  whole  work,  and  accept  my  best 
and  sincerest  thanks  for  it.  Let  me  consider  our  ac- 
quaintance as  begun  under  the  auspices  of  your  poetry, 
and  let  me  hope  that  it  may  soon  continue  and  last  long. 
My  best  thanks  also  for  the  beautiful  lyrics,*  which  I 
will  try  to  set  to  music,  as  soon  as  I  shall  have  a  mo- 
ment's leisure  by  mjrself ;  and  believe  me  to  bo,  with  the 
greatest  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOIIN-BARTJIOLDY. 

3. 

To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

JULY,  1842. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  It  is  with  true  regret,  and  only  from 
the  deep  conviction  that  sincerity  is  in  all  cases  the  best 
and  most  necessary  thing,  and  that  particularly  so  in  an 
undertaking  like  that  which  we  have  been  talking  o  >  ^r 
in  our  last  conversation,  that  I  must  write  you  that  my 
views  of  a  subject  for  an  Opera  are  not  entirely  agreeing 
with  the  one  you  have  selected  for  your  recent  work, 
and  that  I  could,  accordingly,  not  set  it  to  music,  al- 
though I  had  the  most  anxious  desire  of  doing  so. 

It  is,  as  you  thought  yourself,  according  to  my  opinion, 
more  fit  for  a  Melodrama  than  an  Opera  ;  at  least,  I  could 
*  A  poem  on  Music,  inclosed  by  Mr.  Bartholomew. 


APPEXDIX.  291 

not  reconcile  it  to  the  ideas  which  I  have  of  the  last,  and 
do  not  think  it  fits  the  operatic  form  as  it  would  another, 
perhaps. 

But  I  wish  I  could  express  to  you  how  deeply  I  regret 
this,  and  how  truly  indebted  I  feel,  and  shall  always  feel, 
for  the  very  great  kindness  you  have  shown  me  in  this, 
and  indeed  in  every  instance  since  the  beginning  of  our 
acquaintance.  Have  my  best,  my  most  heartfelt  thanks, 
for  it;  and  allow  me  to  repeat  the  expression  of  my 
admiration  of  your  translation  of  "  Jessonda  "  (which  I 
beg  to  return  herewith),  which  has  given  me  the  greatest 
pleasure  while  I  perused  it,  and  which  has  once  more 
given  me  the  greatest  respect  for  your  poetical  and  lyri- 
cal powers,  and  for  the  most  extraordinary  skill  with 
•which  you  have  succeeded  in  this  very  difficult  (and  to 
so  many  others,  impossible)  task.* 

And  now,  farewell !  To-morrow,  early,  I  must  leave 
this  country,  and  hope  we  shall  soon  meet  again,  and 
you  will  always  continue  the  same  kind  and  indulgent 
friend  I  have  found  you. 

Always  and  very  faithfully  yours, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHX-BARTHOLDY. 

4. 
To  Mr.  Bartfiolomeit}. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  January  3, 1S13. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  BARTHOLOMEW  :  Have  my  best  thanks 

*The  English  version  boiu?  adapted  without  any  of  the  notation 
being  altered  ;  a  very  unusual  thing  in  a  work  of  this  extent. 


292  APPENDIX. 

for  the  great  pleasure  which  your  translation  of  the 
"  Antigone  "  choruses  has  afforded  me.*  Indeed  I  do 
not  know  how  to  express  sufficiently  the  admiration  for 
the  wonderful  task  you  have  performed,  and  the  grati- 
tude I  feel  for  the  most  valuable  assistance  which  you 
have  given  to  the  cause  of  my  music — or  rather,  the 
cause  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  whose  idea  it  was — or 
rather  the  cause  of  old  Sophocles,  whose  idea  the  whole 
was.  Accept  a  thousand  most  heartfelt  thanks  for  all 
you  have  done.  I  am  sorry  I  have  not  received  the 
whole  of  the  music,  with  your  translation  to  it,  and  hope 
the  rest  is  at  present  on  its  way  to  Leipzig.  Should  it 
not,  and  should  this  arrive  in  time,  pray  ask  Mr.  Buxton 
to  let  me  see  the  rest  also,  before  it  is  published.  In 
those  proofs  I  have  seen,  I  took  the  liberty  of  pointing 
out  a  few  passages  where  I  would  have  wished  an  alter- 
ation in  the  words.  I  marked  those  passages  thus  (x  ?) ; 
it  is  particularly  the  case  where  there  are  syllables  to  the 
notes  which  I  had  slurred,  and  where  I  should  wish 
them  to  remain  slurred,  if  possible.  You  will  excuse 
this,  and  the  few  questions  which  I  wrote  on  the  mar- 
gin. 

Do  you  call  the  earth  Telia  in  English,  and  the  family 
of  the  "  Edouen  "  also  with  our  German  termination  ? 

*  "  Antigone  "  was  first  performed  at  Covent  Garden  Theater  in 
January,  1845,  and  had  a  run  of  twenty-seven  consecutive  nights. 
The  abridged  version,  written  by  command  of  Her  Majesty,  was 
given  at  Buckingham  Palace  and  Windsor  Castle  on  various  occa- 
sions, the  readings  being  assigned  to  Mr.  C.  Kemble  and  Mr.  Bar- 
tholomew, or  Mr.  Bartley  and  Mr.  Bartholomew.— Note  by  Mrs.  Bar- 
tholomew. 


API'KNDIX.  2U3 

I  sent  the  metronomes  to  Mr.  Buxton,  but  could  not 
get  the  business  of  the  stage,  which  I  have  written  at 
greater  length  in  my  letter  ty  Mr.  Buxton.  And  now 
once  more  have  my  sincerest  thanks  ;  present  my  com- 
pliments to  the  Misses  Mounsey,  whose  organ -play  ing  I 
always  recollect  with  so  much  pleasure,  and  believe  me 
always  to  remain,  yours  very  truly, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOUN-BARTHOLDY. 

5. 

To  Mr.  Barihdoincic. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  June  12, 1843. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Pray  do  not  be  angry  at  receiving  my 
very  late  reply  to  your  two  very  kind  letters.  I  found  the 
second  after  a  stay  at  Berlin,  where  I  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  (musical  and  otherwise),  and  since  my  return 
this  is  the  first  day  that  I  am  at  liberty ;  for  not  only 
had  I  a  great  many  compositions  going  on  in  my  head 
and  on  my  desk,  but  the  life  in  my  house  was  so  busy, 
and  so  many  foreign  friends  came  and  went,  that  I  felt 
almost  giddy  every  evening,  when  I  thought  of  the  day. 
Excuse  me,  then !  I  am  afraid  my  answer  about  the 
"  Antigone  "  choruses  will  be  always  the  same.  If  they 
are  to  be  performed  at  a  concert,  I  prefer  a  selection  of 
three  or  four  ;  a  few  which,  to  select,  I  must  submit  to 
others;  at  any  rate,  the  one  in  D  ought  to  be  placed  as 
the  last,  and  the  one  in  E  minor  ought  not  to  be  left 
out,  if  possible.  And  now  another  pardon  I  have  to 


294  APPENDIX. 

ask  !  I  cannot  as  yet  agree  to  the  version  of  the  Lied 
in  the  "  Festgesang."  Pray  do  not  be  very  angry  with 
me !  I  even  liked  your  first  version  better  than  the  one 
you  last  sent.  This  lust  is  a  mixture  of  both,  which  I 
do  not  think  effective;  and  indeed  your  introduction  of 
Guttenherg  and  of  the  art  of  printing  in  English  verse, 
makes  me  aware  that  the  difficulty  is  greater  than  I 
thought  at  first.  I  am  almost  sure  now  that  the  Gutten- 
berg  and  the  graphic  pen,  and  all  that,  is  not  the  thing, 
and  that  nothing  of  the  kind  should  be  mentioned  in 
the  poem. 

But  what  then  ?  you  will  say.  I  answer  with  the  French 
proverb,  "  criticizing  is  easy,  but  art  is  difficult."  I  do 
not  know,  but  I  neither  wish  the  creation  of  man  nor 
the  creation  of  typography,  and  yet  I  wish  for  something 
national,  popular,  and  lofty  at  the  same  time.  I  am  sure 
you  would  wish  I  was  in  the  Pepper  Country  (as  we  say 
in  Germany). 

And  now,  once  more,  many  hearty  thanks  for  the  poera 
you  sent  about  the  "  Midsummer  Night's  Dream  "  and 
my  overture  to  it.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  am  allowed 
to  praise  your  poem  very  much,  for  it  praises  my  music 
by  far  too  much  ;  but,  at  any  rate,  I  am  allowed  to  thank 
you  from  my  heart  for  your  continued  benevolence  and 
kindness  and  friendship,  and  to  assure  you  that  I  shall 
always  be,  yours  very  very  truly, 

FELIX  MJENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 


APPENDIX.  295 

6. 
To  Mr.  Bartholomew, 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  July  17, 1843. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Many  thanks  for  your  kindness,  for 
your  last  letter,  for  the  new  translation,  for  everything  ! 
Of  course  I  like  your  verses  very  much,  but  you  must 
not  be  angry  if  I  still  am  as  stubborn  as  an  old  post. 
The  idea  of  a  jubilate,  of  "  Praise  the  Lord,"  etc.,  to 
that  song  of  mine,  has  something  in  itself  which  hurts 
me.  This  is  not  the  strain  in  which  I  would  sing  a 
jubilate,  a  "  Praise  the  Lord."  While  I  read  it  just  now 
again  and  again,  an  idea  struck  me:  could  you  not 
adhere  to  the  first  word  of  the  German  verses,  and  make 
this  eternal  Xo.  2,  instead  of  a  jubilate,  a  song  in  honor 
to  your  country,  to  your  "  Vaterland."  TJiat  is  the 
sense  of  my  music ;  if  it  is  "  Praise  the  Land  "  instead  of 
the  "  Lord,"  then  my  music  is  right ;  or  perhaps  "  Happy 
Land,"  or  "  Happy  tliou,"  or,  etc.  Really,  the  more  I 
think  of  it,  the  more  I  think  it  could  and  should  be  done 
so !  The  first  two  stanzas  in  favor  of  your  English 
"  Vaterland,"  and  the  third  where  the  G  minor  com- 
mences, speaking  of  darkness,  of  bad  times  which  may 
surround  that  country's  horizon  for  a  little  while,  but 
which  must  soon  vanish  before  the  sun,  and  ending  with 
that  same  "  Happy  Land,"  or  happy  anything,  as  the 
others.  This  national  feeling  is  at  k-a>t  the  only  thing 
which,  to  my  idea, the  music  can  truly  express;  sacred  it 
will  never  be,  and  the  more  sacred  the  words  are,  the 


206  APPENDIX. 

less  my  notes  will  seem  so.  If  you  approve  of  this  idea, 
it  would  involve  indeed  a  general  alteration,  the  whole 
would  become  much  more  of  a  hymn  to  God,  the 
Creator  of  England,  than  to  Him  the  Creator  of  the 
world — but  so  much  the  better. 

Mr.  Buxton,  who  visits  Germany  in  August,  as  I  un- 
derstand, shall  bring  you  the  brass  score  as  a  small 
atonement  for  this  endless  trouble.  For  God's  sake  do 
not  let  my  old  sin  of  "  Camacho's  Wedding  "  be  stirred 
up  again !  I  was  fifteen  years  old  when  I  wrote  it,  and 
still  think  it  good  enough  for  that  age,  but  certainly  not  for 
that  venerable  one  which  I  have  attained  now,  and  in 
which  I  would  be  able  to  do  something  better.  So  pray 
keep  it  entre  nous,  and  always  believe  me  yours  very 
excessively,  truly,  and  thankfully, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOILN'-BARTHOLDY. 

7. 
To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  July  31,  1843. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Many  thanks  for  yesterday's  letter  with 
the  translation  of  the  six  songs.  I  like  it  very  much, 
and  have  only  a  few  trifling  objections  to  make — none 
to  any  of  them  as  a  whole,  but  only  to  some  details. 
Your  despair  about  Eichendorff's  poetry  has  made  me 
laugh  very  much;  it  is  a  very  odd  thing,  and  meant  to 
be  so,  and  would  sound  still  more  wild  if  translated 
literally.  I  think  your  version  a  very  good  one,  and  SA 


AI'l'KXDIX.  29T 

a  whole  it  corresponds  with  the  German  meaning  per- 
fectly, although  I  miss  some  details—  "O  Lieb,  O  Hebe," 
etc.  (which,  by-the-by,  is  not  addressed  to  a  lady),  for 
which  I  am  not  sorry  at  all,  as  it  sings,  and  is  much 
easier  understood,  and  is  indeed  much  more  the  thing 
than  a  more  literal  translation  would  be.  My  objections 
(for  you  see  I  am  the  eternal  objector)  are  : — 

1.  In  No.  2,  the  last  two  stanzas,  and  more  particularly 
the  last,  and  more  particularly  the  last  two  lines,  and 
most  particularly  the  Cory  don  in  them.  Pray  don't  let 
us  have  Corydon,  or  any  such  name,  in  it !  I  could  never 
reconcile  it  to  my  feelings,  if  Corydon.  or  Phyllis,  or  Da- 
mon came  in  at  the  end.  I  would  even  wish  that  neither 
he  nor  she  was  mentioned,  and  that  it  was  a  something 
of  love  which  the  tenor  and  bass  could  say  as  well  as  the 
soprano  and  alto.  3o  it  is  in  the  German,  although  it 
does  not  seem  so,  and  although  it  is  rather  a  difficult 
passage,  of  which  a  literal  translation  would  not  do  at  all. 

There  are  some  more  objections  I  have  in  that  song. 
"  Now  Zephyr  rushes,  onward  he  goes ;  "  there  I  should 
prefer  something  more  literal,  because  it  is  one  of  the 
greatest  beauties  of  the  poem.  The  "  iniichtiger,"  "  more 
powerful,"  ought  to  be  expressed  if  possible  as  well  as 
the  "  doch  er  verlieret,"  "  but  it  vanishes  : "  this  contrast 
is  so  beautifully  expressive  of  spring-time.  Then  I 
would  wish  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  but  one  stanza  to 
have  the  German  expression, "  Zum  Busen  kehrt  er  zur- 
fick,"  "It  returns  to  the  bosom"— at  least,  the  returning, 
because  it  is  this  word  that  gave  me  the  idea  of  coming 


298  APPENDIX. 

back  to  the  first  subject,  and  it  does  therefore  well  with  the 
music.  And  then  it  is  so  fine  in  the  poetry  to  follow  the 
Zephyr  (or  what  wind  it  may  be)  on  its  way ;  beginning 
first  "more  powerfully,"  "vanishing"  then  directly  in 
the  bushes,  and  returning  at  last  to  the  bosom,  or  the 
feeling  of  the  poet !  but,  before  all,  pray  kill  Corydon, 
because  I  detest  him  amazingly. 

In  No.  4  could  you  adhere  still  closer  to  the  German, 
"  Was  neues  hat  sie  nicht  gelernt,"  "  she  has  not  learnt  a 
novel  lay  "  (She  sings  the  old  that  nature  taught  her)  ? 
I  think  it  the  "point"  of  the  poem.  And  last  of  all, 
the  last  line  of  all,  "  Gay  as  the  feathers  that  dance  in 
their  crests,"  is  not  just  what  I  could  wish  for  my  music's 
sake.  If  you  could  find  there  another  simile,  something 
less  cTievaleresque  and  more  poetical  in  itself,  some  simile 
taken  from  the  wind,  or  the  spring,  or  the  bushes,  or 
anything  of  the  kind,  but  not  of  the  feathers. 

Now  pray  forgive  my  fastidiousness,  and  have  my  best 
thanks  for  the  difficult  task  yon  have  again  so  masterly 
done. 

The  altered  notes,  as  you  propose  them,  will  suit  me 
completely. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  with  many  true  thanks, 
always  yours, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

Pray  tell  Mr.  Buxton  that  I  think  very  much  of  a  new 
book  of  "  Lieder  ohne  Worte,"  and  that  I  intend  pub- 
lishing one  still  in  the  course  of  this  year,  which  I  will 


APPENDIX.  299 

send  immediately,  when  ready.  And  tell  him  also, 
pray,  that  I  will  not  send  the  music  of  the  "erste 
Walpurgisnacht"  before  I  have  talked  it  over  with  him, 
because  I  am  rather  doubtful  whether  the  style  of  the 
thing  (poem  as  well  as  music)  would  do  for  the  English, 
and  because  the  opportunity  of  discussing  this  with 
him,  and  seeing  him  here,  is  now  so  close  at  hand.  I 
expect  him,  then,  toward  the  end  of  August.  Add  my 
best  compliments  to  the  long  message.  And  pray  for- 
ward the  inclosed  to  my  friend  Klingemann,  and  excuse 
all  this  trouble ! 


Some  sacred  concerts  being  held  in  London  under  the 
direction  of  Miss  Mounsey  (now  Mrs.  Mounsey  Barthol- 
omew), Mr.  Bartholomew  wrote  to  request  Dr.  Mendels- 
sohn would  compose  something  for  one  of  these  perform- 
ances, taking  the  words  from  Scripture,  or  from  either 
of  the  three  accompanying  sets  of  verses.  Mendelssohn 
selected  one  of  those,  "  Hear  my  prayer,"  and  this  com- 
position for  a  soprano  and  chorus  (now  held  in  such 
high  esteem  in  this  country)  was  transmitted  with  the 
following  gratifying  letter  to  Mr.  Bartholomew.— Note 
by  Mrs.  Bartholomew. 

8. 
To  J/r.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

BERLIV,  January  31, 1844. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  send  you  the  sacred  solo  *  which 
*  '•  Hear  my  Prayer  1 " 


300  APPENDIX. 

you  wanted  me  to  write  for  your  concerts  at  Crosby 
Hall,  and  beg  you  will  keep  the  manuscript  as  a  token 
of  my  sincere  gratitude  and  respect. 

You  have  been  so  often  so  kind  to  rne,  that  I  am  almost 
ashamed  of  the  trifle  I  offer  in  return ;  however,  I  have 
nothing  better,  and  so  you  must  "  take  the  will  for  the 
deed." 

It  is  a  little  after  the  time  you  fixed  me  for  sending  the 
music,  but  I  hope,  as  you  receive  it  early  in  February, 
that  it  will  yet  be  in  time  for  the  last  concert  at  least. 

I  have  only  to  observe  that  the  bass  of  the  organ  accom- 
paniment is  always  meant  to  be  played  either  with  the 
pedal?,  or  with  the  lower  octave  in  the  left  hand,  which 
I  never  wrote  in  it.  * 

Be  as  healthy  and  as  happy  as  I  always  wish  you  to 
be ;  and  remember  kindly,  yours  very  truly, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BAKTHOLDY. 

9. 
To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  March  21, 1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  owe  to  you  many  many  thanks  for 
two  very  kind  letters.  And  not  for  the  letters  only. 
Still  more  for  the  copy  of  your  English  version  of 
"  Antigone  "  which  you  sent  with  the  first,  and  which  I 

*  The  folio  wing  year  Mendelssohn  sent  various  little  alterations 
to  this  work ;  these  and  the  original  manuscript  are  now  in  the 
possession  of  Mrs.  Bartholomew.—  Note  by  Mrs.  Bartholomew. 


APPENDIX.  301 

admire  so  much  and  value  so  highly  !  And  for  the 
accouut  of  the  performance  of  it  at  the  Palace  which  your 
second  letter  conveyed  to  me  !  For  this,  and  for  all  the 
trouble  you  have  taken  with  it,  and  for  the  good  you 
have  done  to  it,  I  wish  I  could  thank  you  sufficiently 
and  express  my  gratitude  as  I  feel  it. 

But  to-day  I  have  not  only  to  thank  you  for  past 
kindnesses,  but  I  intend  to  ask  you  for  new  proofs  of  it, 
and  I  will  ask  a  new  favor,  almost  before  I  have  been 
able  to  thank  you  for  the  former  ones.  Your  Queen 
sent  for  a  copy  of  my  score  to  the  "  Athalia  "  of  Racine, 
which  I  dispatched  to  London  yesterday  ;  and  next 
week  I  hope  to  send  a  copy  of  the  choruses  of  "  CEdipus  " 
to  Mr.  Anderson,  who  wanted  to  have  them  for  the 
Prince.  I  wrote  already  to  Mr.  Anderson  to  say  that  I 
wished  you  to  undertake  the  translation  of  these  last 
choruses  ;  but,  as  the  score  of  the  "  Athalia "  was 
ordered  through  Lor>l  Westmoreland,!  could  not  men- 
tion it  to  him.  But  I  wish  you  would  do  them  both,  if 
your  leisure  does  allow  you  to  do  so ;  and  this  is  the 
request  which  I  have  to  make  to  you  now,  and  by  the 
complying  with  which  you  would  confer  a  new  and 
very  great  obligation  on  me. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  always  and  very  sincerely 
and  gratefully  yours, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 


302  APPEOTIX. 

10. 

To  Baroness  Dorothea  Ertmann* 

LEIPZIG,  April  12, 1846. 

DEAR  AND  HIGHLY  ESTEEMED  BARONESS  :  I  have  not 
written  to  you  since  our  never-to-be-forgotten  days  in 
Milan,  and  probably  you  scarcely  know  how  deeply  my 
heart  is  penetrated  with  profound  and  unchanging  grati- 
tude toward  you.  Few  days  have  passed  since  then 
without  my  thinking  long  and  often  of  your  kindness 
and  friendship,  and  thanking  you  anew  ;  and  I  have 

*  Dorothea  Freifran  von  Ertmann  was  a  native  of  Offenbach, 
daughter  of  a  wealthy  merchant.  She  commenced  her  musical 
studies  early  in  life.  Though  her  talents  were  great,  she  had  not 
much  perseverance,  so  she  was  literally  often  tied  to  the  music-stool 
by  her  mother.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  she  became  the  wife  of  an 
Austrian  captain.  Baron  von  Ertmann,  who  subsequently  died  in 
Milan  as  a  field-marshal.  The  Baroness  n~ade  the  acquaintance  of 
Beethoven  in  Vienna  by  a  singular  chance.  £he  Faw  in  Tobias 
Haslinger's  musical  catalogue  the  names  of  some  recently  published 
sonatas  of  Beethoven,  played  them  at  sight  in  an  adjoining  room, 
and  was  quite  enchanted  with  their  genial  flow.  When  she  had 
fln:shed  playing,  a  shy  and  awkward  young  man  came  into  the  room 
and  presented  himself  to  her  as  the  composer.  From  that  time 
Beethoven  was  in  the  habit  of  dai'y  frequenting  the  house  of  the 
Baroness,  and  teaching  her  his  sonatas..  In  his  intercourse  with 
her  he  was  as  severe  and  gruff,  as  sens'tive  and  eccentric  as  ever, 
but  met  with  the  ntmost  forbearance  and  patience  on  the  part  of 
the  Baroness.  Although,  in  spite  of  this,  he  sometimes  absented 
himself  for  weeks  in  a  sulky  humor,  still  he  always  at  length  came 
back ;  and  when  the  Baroness  lost  the  last  of  her  children, 
Beethoven's  sorrow  was  great.  In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  he 
expressed  his  sympathy  by  music,  and  while  she  was  seated  beside 
him  at  the  piano,  he  extemporized  in  the  most  enchanting  tores. 
When  he  closed  his  fantasia,  tears  prevented  her  speaking,  and  he 
left  the  room.  His  sonata  in  A  major,  Op.  101,  is  dedicated  to  the 
Baroness.  She  had  all  his  sonatas,  with  Beethoven's  own  annota- 
tions. 


been  also  much  impressed  by  all  that  is  good  and  praise- 
worthy in  your  life,  which  has  come  to  my  knowledge 
since  we  met,  though,  living  so  far  away,  I  could  not 
communicate  my  feelings  to  you.  After  the  lapse  of  so 
many  long  years,  an  opportunity  has  just  occurred  to 
write  to  yon  which  I  cannot  allow  to  escape,  knowing 
that  I  can  afford  you  pleasure.  My  friend  Jenny  Lind 
is  going  to  Vienna,  and  I  am  anxious  that  you  should 
become  acquainted  ;  for  a  more  noble,  estimable,  or  true 
and  thorough  artist  I  never  in  my  life  met,  and  I  know 
well  that  I  cannot  cause  you  greater  joy  than  by  intro- 
ducing her  to  you.  Were  she  to  sing  to  you  a  little  song 
or  a  grand  aria,  it  would  be  quite  unnecessary  for  me  to 
say  anything  on  the  subject ;  so,  as  you  are  sure  to  hear 
ber,  I  need  add  no  more.  I  have  only  one  more  request 
to  make,  which  is,  that  you  will  sometimes  bestow  a 
friendly  thought  on  me.  The  hours  I  once  passed  in 
your  house  were  so  very  delightful !  If  you  wish  to 
hear  any  further  details  of  my  career,  M'lle  Lind  can 
relate  them  more  minutely,  as  I  have  seen  her  so  fre- 
quently that  ehe  knows  every  particular  with  regard  to 
myself  and  my  family.  I  trust  you  will  rely  on  the 
unchangeable  devotion  and  heartfelt  gratitude  with 
which  I  shall  through  life  ever  remain  your  devoted, 
FELIX  MEXDELSSOHX-BARTHOLDY. 

11. 

To  3fr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.]  LEIPZIG,  May  11,  1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  letter  of 


304  APPENDIX. 

the  4th,  to  which  I  hasten  to  reply,  and  to  tell  you  that 
the  Oratorio  for  the  Birmingham  Festival  is  not  the 
"  Athalia  "  (nor  the  "  CEdipus,"  of  course),  but  a  much 
greater,  and  (to  me)  more  important  work  than  both 
together;*  that  it  is  not  quite  yet  finished,  but  that  I 
write  continually,  to  finish  it  in  time;  and  that  I  intend 
sending  over  the  first  part  (the  longest  of  the  two  it  will 
hare)  in  the  course  of  the  next  ten  or  twelve  days.  I 
asked  Mr.  Moore  from  Birmingham  to  have  it  translated 
by  you,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  communicate  with 
you  about  it,  as  soon  as  he  gets  my  letter,  which  I  wrote 
four  or  five  days  ago ;  and  I  beg  you  will  be  good  enough, 
if  you  can  undertake  it,  to  try  to  find  some  leisure  time 
toward  the  end  of  this  month,  that  the  choral  parts  with 
English  words,  may  be  as  soon  as  possible  in  the  hands 
of  the  chorus-singers.  And  pray  give  it  your  best  Eng- 
lish words,  for  till  now  I  feel  so  much  more  interest 
in  this  work  than  for  my  others,  and  I  only  wish  it  may 
last  so  with  me.  Always  very  truly  yours, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHX-BARTHOLDY. 

12. 
To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  July  28,  184C. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Here  are  the  metronomes,  which  I  beg 
you  will  give  the  director  of  the  choruses  ;  but  tell  him 

*  The  Oratorio  in  course  of  composition  proved  to  be  the  "  Elijah." 
— Note  by  3frs.  Bartholomew. 


APPENDIX.  305 

that  I  cannot  promise  they  will  be  exactly  the  same,  but 
nearly  so.  I  think. 

Many  thanks  for  your  last  letter,  with  the  remarks 
about  the  song.*  I  do  not  recollect  having  heard  the 
Scotch  ballad  to  which  you  allude,f  and  certainly  did 
not  think  of  it,  and  did  not  choose  to  imitate  it;  but  as 
mine  is  a  song  to  which  I  always  had  an  objection  (of 
another  kind),  and  as  the  ballad  seems  much  known, 
and  the  likeness  veiy  striking,  and  before  all,  as  you 
wish  it,  I  shall  leave  it  out  altogether  (I  think),  and 
have  altered  the  two  last  bars  of  the  preceding  recit.,  so 
that  the  chorus  in  F  may  follow  it  immediately.  Per- 
haps I  shall  bring  another  song  in  its  stead,  but  I  doubt 
it,  and  even  believe  it  to  be  an  improvement  if  it  is  left 
out. 

You  receive  here  No.  36,  38  and  39.  The  only  piece 
which  is  now  not  in  your  hands  is  Xo.  37,  a  song  of 
Elijah.  And  this  (and  perhaps  one  song  to  be  intro- 
duced in  the  first  part)  I  shall  either  send  or  bring  my- 
self, for  they  will  require  only  few  words,  and  it  will  be 
plenty  of  time  to  copy  the  vocal  parts,  and  the  instru- 
mental ones  I  bring  over  with  me.  I  hope  to  be  in 
London  on  the  17th,  and  beg  you  will  let  us  have  a 
grand  meeting  on  the  18th,  to  settle  all  the  questions 
and  the  conies  of  the  solo  parts. 

Always  yours  very  truly, 

FELIX  MEXPELSSOITN-BARTHOLDT. 

•  '  Oh  i  rest  in  the  Lord ! "  t  "  Auld  Robin  Gray." 

10* 


306  APPENDIX. 

13. 

To  R  Bowley,  Esq. 

[Written  in  English.] 

[Received  Sept.  7,  1848.] 

Sin:  I  am  very  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  inform  you, 
that  in  consequence  of  a  letter  from  Birmingham,  which 
I  received  this  morning,  I  must  give  up  the  pleasure  of 
conducting  my  Oratorio  at  your  Society. 

The  feeling  of  the  Committee  of  Birminghan  appears 
to  be  the  same  on  the  subject,  although  tJiey  admitted  that 
they  had  no  right  in  preventing  me  from  conducting  it  else- 
where; and  as  I  do  not  like  to  hurt  their  feelings,  I 
prefer  to  be  alone  the  loser,  and  make  for  them  a  sacri- 
fice which,  I  assure  you,  is  extremely  painful  to  me. 

Should  it  be  possible  that  your  performance  could  be 
postponed  till  the  Saturday  after  the  Birmingham 
Festival  (the  22nd  of  September),  I  should  be  able  to 
conduct,  and  it  would  be  a  true  pleasure  for  me  if  this 
could  be  the  case.  But  if  it  cannot  be  postponed  to 
that  day,  and  must  stand  for  the  Tuesday  before  the 
Festival,  I  beg  you  will  receive  my  regrets  for  not  being 
able  to  do  as  I  should  have  wished,  and.  present  to  the 
committee  of  your  Society  my  sincere  thanks  for  the 
honor  they  did  me,  and  my  most  heartfelt  regrets  for 
the  loss  of  pleasure  I  feel  in  declining  their  kind  and 
honoring  offers. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir,  your  obedinnt  servant, 
FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 


APPENDIX.  307 

Extract  from  a  letter  of  Mendelssohn's,  printed  in  the 
Report,  alluding  to  the  composer's  presence  at  the  per- 
formance of  "  Elijah,"  which  he  was  not  allowed  to 
conduct : 

"  I  can  hardly  express  the  gratification  I  felt  in  hear- 
ing my  work  performed  in  so  beautiful  a  manner ;  in- 
deed, I  shall  never  wish  to  hear  some  parts  of  it  hetter 
executed  than  they  were  last  night. 

"  The  power  of  the  choruses — this  large  body  of  good 
and  musical  voices — and  the  style  in  which  the}'  sang 
the  whole  of  my  music,  gave  me  the  highest  and  most 
heartfelt  treat,  while  I  thought  on  the  immense  improve- 
ment which  such  a  number  of  real  amateurs  must 
necessarily  produce  in  the  country  which  may  boast  of 
it  It  is  for  these  gratifying  feelings  I  wish  to  express 
my  thanks  to  the  committee  of  this  Sciety,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  the  manner  in  which  they  performed  my 
Oratorio,  and  the  kind  and  most  honoring  reception  I 
met  with  by  the  Sacred  Harmonic  Society." 

14. 

To  T.  Brewer,  Esq.,  Hon.  Sec.  to  the  Sacred  Harmonic  So- 
ciity,  Renter  Hall,  London. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  October  7, 1846. 

DEAR  SIR  :  I  beg  to  express  my  best  thanks  for  the 
letter  dated  September  24,  and  it  gives  me  much  plea- 
sure that  the  Sacred  Harmonic  Society  will  undertake  the 
first  performance  of  my  "  Elijah  "  before  a  London  audi- 


308  APPENDIX. 

ence.  I  beg  to  thank  the  committee  most  sincerely  for 
their  flattering  intention,  and  of  course  should  be  most 
happy  to  conduct  the  work  myself  on  such  an  occasion^ 
if  I  can  come  to  London  in  April  next.  I  hope  and  trust 
that  I  may  have  that  pleasure,  and  that  nothing  may 
prevent  me  from  doing  so.  But  I  am  still  doubtful,  and 
cannot  give  a  positive  promise  as  far  as  regards  my  com- 
ing over ;  and  as  for  the  parts  which  you  wish  to  have 
as  soon  as  possible,  I  shall  speak  to  the  editor  of  them, 
Mr.  Buxton,  who,  I  hear,  is  expected  shortly  in  Leipzig, 
and  will  ask  him  to  let  you  have  them  as  soon  as  they 
can  be  ready. 

With  many  thanks  to  yourself  and  the  Society,  believe 
me,  dear  Sir,  your  very  obedient  servant, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

15. 
To  Mr.  Barlholo  i,e  c. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  January  20, 1847. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  BARTHOLOMEW  :  A  happy  new  year  to 
you,  (although  it  is  rather  old  already,)  and  many  thanks 
for  your  kind  and  precious  letter.  Indeed,  nobody  could 
have  written  it  but  you,  and  nobody  could  have  taken 
so  much  trouble  with  my  choruses  to  the  "  Athalie  " 
but  you,  and  to  nobody  could  I  feel  so  sincerely  and 
heartily  indebted  but  to  you. 

Have  many  many  thanks,  my  dear  Sir,  and  be  sure 
that  you  confer  all  these  obligations  on  one  who  knows 


APPENDIX.  309 

how  to  value  them,  and  who  will  always  remain  thank- 
ful to  you. 

With  these  lines  you  receive  the  choral  parts  of  the 
"  (Edipus,"  which  you  wished  to  have.  Of  two  of  my 
favorite  choruses  I  have  made  the  P.F.  arrangement,  and 
send  it  to  you,  in  order  that  you  may  sec  what  they  are 
meant  for;  the  rest  is,  as  you  wanted  it,  quite  without 
accompaniment.  I  hope  you  will  accept  of  them,  such 
as  they  are,  and  thjnk  of  me  when  you  peruse  them.  As 
for  the  stories  of  the  Exeter  Hall  people,*  I  have  written 
my  mind  at  length  to  Mr.  Buxtou,  and  asked  him  to 
communicate  my  letter  to  you,  and  talk  the  thing  over 
with  you,  and  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  hear  your  ad- 
vice. 

The  second  part  of"  Elijah  "  will  in  a  very  short  time 
be  in  Mr.  Buxton's  hands.  And  now,  my  dear  Sir,  let 
me  repeat  to  you  my  heartfelt  thanks  for  all  you  did 
again  for  me  when  they  performed  the  "  Athalie  "  cho- 
ruses, and  for  your  interesting  report  of  all  the  proceed- 
ings before  and  during  that  performance,  and  for  all  the 
kindness  and  friendship  which  you  always  show  me. 
Alwaj's  very  truly  and  sincerely  yours, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 

*  What  he  terms  "stories  of  the  Exeter  Ilall  people"  relate  to 
reports  current  at  that  time  about  Mendelsohn  having  ntidertaiteii 
to  write  an  Opera  for  Mr.  Luniley  of  Her  Majesty's  Theater.  It 
was  asserted  to  be  the  "  Tempest  "  to  a  French  libretto.  This,  and 
othsr  reports  of  a  like  nature,  caused  the  directors  of  the  Sacred 
Harmonic  Society  to  fear  that  he  would  not  be  ready  with  the 
"Elijah."  which  was  to  be  performed  in  the  eneuing  spring  under 
bis  baton.— .Vote  by  .Vrs.  Bartholomew. 


310  /PPENDIX. 

16. 

To  Mr.  Bartholomew. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  March  10, 1847. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  Many  thanks  for  your  letter  of  the  1st. 
I  really  do  not  know  what  a  synopsis  of  the  Oratorio 
should  be  good  for :  on  the  other  hand,  I  do  not  see  the 
harm  it  could  do,  and  therefore  leave  it  to  you  to  decide 
this  point  as  you  think  best.  I  shall  send  you  the  met- 
ronomes in  a  few  days  ;  the  organ  part  I  do  not  forget. 

But  tell  me,  should  the  whole  series  of  performances 
not  be  better  postponed  till  autumn  f  What  with  your 
uncertainty  about  Staudigl,  and  with  all  this  uproar  in 
London  about  the  two  opera  parties,  and  with  Jenny 
Lind  coming  or  not  coming,  and  with  the  "  Tempest " 
or  not  the  "Tempest,"  and  with  the  difficulty  you  and 
Mr.  Buxton  have  to  make  the  parts  ready,*  would  not 
such  a  delay  be  beneficial  to  all  of  us,  especially  to  the 
old  prophet  himself?  Not  to  me,  certainly,  who  like  to 
shake  my  English  friends  by  the  hand  the  sooner  the 
better,  but  to  all  others.  And  now  many  thanks  for 
your  friendly  advice  in  the  opera  affair.  Some  time  be- 
fore you  wrote  your  letter  to  me,  I  had  already  informed 
Mr.  Lumley  that  I  should  not  be  able  to  produce  an 
Opera  of  the  "  Tempest "  in  the  season  1847 ;  and  accorcl- 

*  None  but  the  chorus  parts  were  printed  for  the  first  performance 
at  Birmingham.  When  this  letter  was  written,  the  whole  work  was 
being  published  with  the  extensive  alterations  made  by  the  com- 
poser: one  of  them  being  "Lift  thine  eyes,"  which  was  substituted 
for  a  duet. — Nate  by  Mrs  Bartholomew. 


APPE>TDIX.  311 

ing  to  the  advice  my  friend  Klingemann  gave  me  some 
days  before  your  letter  came,  I  have  since  again  written 
to  Mr.  Lumley  (about  the  same  words  as  you  suggest), 
and  have  asked  Klingemann  to  take  care  of  seeing  the 
letter  safely  delivered,  and  have  sent  to  him  a  duplicate  of 
it.  So  that  the  whole  of  your  advice,  the  same  which 
my  friend  K.  gave,  has  been  followed  literally,  and  I 
should  be  very  glad  if  thus  the  affair  would  come  to  an 
end.  Of  this  I  think  I  may  be  sure,  that  Mr.  Lumley 
will  not  continue  his  advertisements  of  my  Opera  after  he 
heard  that  I  had  taken  the  resolution  not  to  icrite  the 
"  Tempest,"  for  the  season  1847. 

The  chorus  "  Grausam  ist  es,  O  Freund,"  although  I 
have  composed  the  music  for  it,  was  not  performed  at 
Berlin,  and  therefore  was  not  in  the  score  I  gave  to  the 
copyist.  If  you  wish  to  have  it  also,  I  will  send  it 
directly  I  hear  from  you.  And  now  forgive  this  dry  let- 
ter, and  believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHX-BABTHOLDY. 


NO.  ni. 

LETTERS  TO  JOSEPH  MOORE,  ESQ. 


1. 

T»  Joseph  Moore,  E*q. 

[Written  in  English.]  LEIPZIG,  July  21, 1&40. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  delaj-ed  the  answer  to  your  letters 
BO  long,  because  my  health  as  well  as  that  of  my  wife 
was  not  in  a  very  good  state,  which  made  me  feel  uncer- 
tain whether  I  could  stand  the  fatigues  of  such  a  great 
Festival  as  yours,  and  such  a  hasty  journey  home  as  I 
had  three  years  ago— (for  again  I  must  be  in  Leipzig  at 
the  beginning  of  October,  when  our  concert  season  opens). 
My  physician  would  not  even  allow  me  to  go  some 
weeks  ago,  and  wanted  to  send  me  to  some  of  our  baths ; 
but  now  I  am  so  much  improved  that  he  has  changed 
his  mind,  and  given  his  sanction  to  my  journey,  and  I 
shall  therefore  come  and  have  the  pleasure  of  assisting 
at  your  Festival.  The  period  of  my  arrival  I  cannot  yet 
fix  upon  ;  it  depends  on  my  wife's  health,  which  is  not 
yet  quite  settled.  If  she  can  go  with  me,  I  shall  come 
to  England  in  the  middle  of  next  month  ;  if  I  must  go 
alone,  I  shall  leave  Leipzig  not  before  September,  and 
spend  only  a  week  before  the  Festival  in  London.  \ 


APPENDIX.  313 

am  afraid  this  last  will  be  the  case,  although  I  should 
lose  the  greatest  part  of  the  pleasure  I  anticipated  if  I 
must  come  alone.  Pray,  my  dear  Sir,  accept  our  best 
thanks  for  your  kind  and  hospitable  offers  ;  I  wish  and 
hope  still  we  might  be  able  to  accept  them ;  but  if  not, 
you  know  our  thanks  and  gratitude  are  the  same,  as 
your  kindness  is  the  same. 

The  composition  which  we  performed  here  at  the 
Festival,  and  which  you  want  to  have  for  the  second  day, 
is  not,  as  you  call  it,  a  little  Oratorio,  its  plan  being  not 
dramatic,  but  merely  lyrical.  It  is  called  in  German, 
"  The  Song  of  Praise,"  and  consists  of  an  instrument;!! 
symphony  of  three  movements,  which  leads  to  a  great 
chorus,  to  which  twelve  other  vocal  pieces,  solos,  and 
choruses  succeed.  Its  time  of  duration  is  an  hour  and  a 
quarter.  I  hope  it  will  do  for  the  second  morning,  but  it 
must  not  begin  the  concert.  I  beg  you  will  let  it  either 
conclude  the  first  part,  or  (and  this  I  would  prefer  by 
far)  make  it  alone  the  last  part  of  the  performance.  I  do 
not  know  whether"  The  Song  of  Praise  "  is  good  English 
and  a  good  title,  and  whether  a  better  translation  of  our 
"  Lobgesang"  might  not  be  found;  of  this  I  will  soon 
write  you  more.  I  have  found  here  an  Englishman 
who  translates  the  words  for  me.  I  preferred  this,  because 
I  can  always  tell  which  parts  I  am  able  to  alter,  and 
which  not ;  and  if  the  task  is  done,  I  shall  send  it  to  my 
friends  in  England  to  look  over  and  alter  it,  as  they  like. 
I  write  to-day  to  Novello,  who  can  have  the  parts  as 
soon  as  I  get  his  answer;  at  all  events,  I  have  plenty  of 


314  APPENDIX. 

parts,  which  I  can  bring  with  me,  our  Leipzig  orchestra 
having  been  a  very  great  one.  So  much  for  the  second 
morning.  On  the  4th  you  mention  another  piece  of 
mine.  I  should  like  it  to  be  either  the  "  42nd  Psalm," 
which  is  published  in  England,  or  tlie  "  114th  Psalm," 
which  is  still  MS.,  for  a  Double  Chorus.  The  last  is 
very  short,  only  fifteen  minutes'  duration ;  the  former 
the  double  of  it;  choose  which  you  like  best.  On  the 
first  morning  I  will  perform  something  of  Sebastian 
Bach's  on  the  organ;  on  the  fourth  something  of  my 
composition.  I  am  not  sure  whether  I  shall  complete 
my  concerts  in  time  for  your  Festival ;  I  hope  so,  but  if 
not.  I  will  perform  something  else  on  the  pianoforte.  If 
you  wish  it,  I  will  also  bring  over  my  new  Overture, 
with  all  the  parts.  If  I  make  a  stay  in  London  before 
your  Festival,  I  have  an  idea  of  giving  a  concert  for  the 
benefit  of  some  charity  there.  I  hope  the  Committee 
will  not  oppose  such  an  undertaking  on  the  ground  of 
my  first  appearance  being  looked  for  at  the  Birmingham 
Festival.  Should  such  a  feeling  exist,  I  beg  you  will  let 
me  know  it  immediately.  Pray  do  not  forget  to  answer 
this  point.  Tell  me  also  who  your  principal  singers 
and  performers  are,  and  who  conducts  the  Festival. 
Which  soprano  is  to  sing  the  solo  part  in  my  "  Lobge- 
sang  "  the  second  morning  ?  I  must  have  a  very  good 
one,  if  possible.  And  pray  keep  to  the  idea  of  having  a 
rehearsal  of  it  in  London  before  the  general  rehearsal  at 
Birmingham ;  else  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  best 
band  or  chorus  to  do  it  with  spirit  and  energy.  Once 


APPENDIX.  315 

more,  ray  own  and  my  wife's  best  thanks  for  all  your 
kindness,  and  believe  me  to  remain  very  truly  yours, 
FELIX  MENDELSSOHX-BARTHOLDY. 

2. 

To  Joseph  Moore,  Esq. 

[Written  in  English.] 

FRANKFORT.  July  24, 1&15. 

MY  DEAR  SIR:  Have  many  thanks  for  your  very 
kind  and  welcome  letter,  which  I  received  a  few  days 
ago,  and  pray  tell  the  members  of  the  Committee  for  the 
next  Festival  how  truly  indebted  I  feel  to  them  for  the 
honor  they  have  done  me  in  inviting  me  to  come  over 
to  their  meeting  next  year. 

I  hope  nothing  shall  prevent  me  to  accept  of  so  flat- 
tering and  honorable  an  invitation,  and  beg  to  thank 
the  committee  and  yourself,  my  dear  Sir,  most  sincerely 
for  it. 

You  know  with  how  great  a  pleasure  I  have  always 
visited  your  country ;  the  prospect  of  doing  so  again 
affords  always  a  true  gratification  to  me,  and  your  kind 
and  hospitable  invitation  greatly  adds  to  the  pleasure  I 
may  thus  anticipate.  I  have  only  to  wish,  then,  that 
nothing  may  occur  to  prevent  me  from  accepting  so 
much  kindness ;  for  it  is  indeed  a  long  time — more  than 
a  year — for  settling  any  plans.  Pray  let  me  know  at 
what  time  you  would  wish  to  have  a  positive  and  de- 
cided answer — I  mean  at  what  time  you  would  consider 
my  answer  as  an  engagement  which  could  not  be 


316  APPEXDIX. 

altered  on  any  account ;  and  let  me  also  know  what  you 
mean  in  saying  that  I  am  to  assist  you  in  selecting 
music,  conducting  and  directing  as  much  as  possible. 
As  for  selecting,  of  course  I  shall  be  most  happy  to 
offer  any  advice  which  may  be  asked  ;  but  do  you  mean 
that  I  should  have  to  conduct  all  the  performances,  or 
the  greater  part  of  them  ?  This,  I  fear,  would  be  a  task 
above  my  powers ;  but  before  I  can  say  anything  more 
on  this  subject,  pray  explain  me  what  your  meaning  is, 
and  name  the  period  about  which  I  asked  you  before. 

Since  some  time  I  have  begun  an  Oratorio,*  and  hope 
I  shall  be  able  to  bring  it  out  for  the  first  time  at  your 
Festival;  but  it  is  still  a  mere  beginning,  and  I  can- 
not yet  give  you  any  promise  as  to  my  finishing  it  in 
time. 

I  have  written  to  Mr.  Webb  some  months  ago,  to  tell 
him  that  I  had  already  begun  to  work  on  another  sub- 
ject, and  that  I  could  not  avail  myself  of  his  poem  for 
that  reason,  much  as  I  regretted  it.  If  my  Oratorio 
should  be  ready  in  time  (as  I  hope  it  wiH),  there  would 
be  no  occasion  for  any  other  things  of  mine  at  the 
morning  performances ;  but  if  I  should  not  be  able  to 
finish  it,  I  have  several  other  things  of  mine  which  I 
could  propose  in  its  stead,  either  for  the  morning  or  eve- 
ning concerts. 

The  "  (Edipus"  (which  is  to  be  performed  next  month 
at  Potsdam)  will  scarcely  do  for  any  concert,  I  am 
afraid  ;  but,  as  I  said,  I  have  other  things. 
*"  Elijah." 


APPENDIX.  317 

I  bear  with  much  pleasure  that  you  still  go  on  with 
improvements  in  your  splendid  organ ;  but  if  I  shall 
play  it  with  pleasure,  I  must  have  a  lighter  touch,  and 
broader  keys  in  the  pedals  than  what  I  found  there  last 
year.  I  am  sure  the  pedals  from  C  up  to  D  (two  octaves 
and  a  note)  are  quite  enough,  and  it  could  then  be  con- 
trived that  the  keys  have  the  breadth  which  feet  and 
boots  usually  require.  And  as  for  the  heavy  touch,  I 
jim  sure  that  I  admired  your  organist  very  much  who 
was  able  to  play  a  Fugue  on  them.  I  am  afraid  I  would 
not  have  strength  enough  to  do  so,  without  a  very  long 
previous  practice.  Perhaps  you  may  speak  to  Mr.  Hill 
of  these  observations,  and  hear  what  he  says  to  them. 

How  happy  I  should  have  been  to  see  you  on  the 
Rhine,  and  in  my  country  again !  But  I  am  sorry  to 
say  we  could  not  meet  unless  you  extended  your  jour- 
ney further  on  to  the  interior  of  Germany.  I  leave  the 
Rhine  in  a  few  days,  and  go  for  a  time  to  Berlin  (to  the 
rehearsals  of  the  "  CEdipus"),  and  then  to  Leipzig,  where 
I  shall  most  probably  stay  the  whole  winter.  It  would 
be  a  great  pleasure  indeed  to  see  you  in  those  parts,  but 
I  am  afraid  it  is  out  of  the  question,  after  what  you  say 
of  the  journey  to  the  Rhine. 

If  you  write,  pray  direct  your  letter  henceforth   to 
Leipzig ;  but  if  you  come  yourself— how  much  better 
that  would  be  !    You  should  have  a  glorious  concert  at 
Leipzig,  and  the  most  hearty  welcome,  I  assure  you. 
Believe  me  always,  very  truly  yours, 
FELIX 


318  APPENDIX. 

3. 

To  Joseph  Moore,  Esq. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  October  19, 1845. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  received  your  first  letter  after  an  ab- 
sence of  a  few  weeks,  and  should  have  answered  it  long 
ago,  for  you  know  with  how  much  pleasure  I  read  it, 
and  how  truly  indebted  I  felt  to  you  and  the  committee 
for  continuing  your  very  kind  feeling  toward  me !  But 
I  was  uncertain  which  answer  I  had  to  give  to  some  of 
the  most  important  points,  and  this  uncertainty  is  'still 
the  same;  yet  I  must  write,  as  I  receive  to-day  your 
second  letter,  which  shows  your  wish  to  have  an  imme- 
diate answer. 

The  principal  point  about  which  I  am  uncertain  is 
whether  I  shall  be  able  to  have  my  new  Oratorio  ready 
in  time  for  your  Festival.  There  would  have  been  no 
doubt  of  it,  had  I  been  able  to  continue  my  work  quietly 
at  Frankfort,  as  I  began  it.  But  now  there  are  so  many 
businesses  here,  at  Dresden,  at  Berlin,  which  took  up  all 
my  leisure  time  during  the  last  months,  that  I  have  not 
been  able  to  go  on  with  it.  If  the  businesses  continue 
as  they  have  begun  (which,  however,  I  hope  they  will 
not),  I  shall  not  be  able  to  finish  my  Oratorio  in  time. 
If  they  do  not  continue,  I  shall  finish  it  in  time.  But 
during  this  uncertainty  I  am  not  able  to  make  an  en- 
gagement as  to  the  first  performance  of  this  work. 

The  second  point  is  that  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  be 
strong  enough  to  go  through  the  office  of  being  sole  con- 


APPENDIX.  319 

ductor  of  the  morning  performances  at  such  a  Festival 
as  3~ours  is.  In  former  years  I  had  only  to  conduct  my 
compositions,  not  the  other  pieces  of  your  programme; 
and  yet  I  recollect  how  excited  and  fatigued  I  always 
felt  after  the  Festival  was  over.  Therefore  I  hesitate  to 
accept  of  the  honor  which  you  intend  doing  me,  and 
which  I  fear  I  should  not  be  able  logo  through, although 
I  sincerely  wished  it. 

The  question  now  is  whether  you  would  want  me  yet 
(to  come  to  the  Festival  without  having  a  certainty  a< 
to  these  two  points,  and  even  with  the  possibility  of  my 
answering  them  at  last  in  the  negative),  or  whether  you 
consider  them  as  so  essential  that  the  whole  idea  of  my 
coming  over  (much  as  I  would  regret  it)  must  be  given 
up  with  them. 

I  beg  you  will  give  me  an  answer  to  this  question  as 
soon  as  you  conveniently  can.  If  the  first  should  be 
the  case  (and  I  hope  you  fully  know  how  glad  I  should 
be  to  see  you  again,  and  to  come),  I  would  set  at  work 
as  hard  as  I  could  whenever  any  leisure  is  left  me  to 
finish  my  new  piece,  and  at  any  rate  I  should  propose 
several  others  (although  not  so  extensive  ones)  for  the 
morning  performances.  But  if  the  second  should  be  the 
case.  I  sincerely  hope  and  trust  you  would  be  convinced 
of  my  deep  regret,  and  would  allow  me  another  year  to 
enjoy  of  an  honor  and  a  treat  which  I  should  have  been 
obliged  to  give  up  so  much  against  my  wishes  this 
time.  Be  it  as  it  may,  I  beg  you  will  present  my  best 
and  most  sincere  thanks  to  the  committee,  and  I  beg 


S20  APPENDIX. 

you  will  think  of  me,  my  dear  Sjr,  as  of  one  who  shall 
always  feel  true  gratitude  and  thankfulness  for  all  the 
kindness  and  friendship  you  have  shown  to  him !  All 
my  family  are  well,  thank  God,  and  unite  in  best  wishes 
for  your  perfect  health  and  happiness.  I  hope  now 
soon  to  hear  again  from  you,  and  am,  my  dear  Sir,  very 
truly  yours, 

FELIX   MENDELSSOirS-BAKTHOLDY. 

4. 
To  Joseph  Moore,  E.-q. 

[Written  in  English. 

LEIPZIG,  December  11, 1&15. 

MY  DEAK  SIR  :  Many  thanks  for  your  very  kind 
letter.  I  have  now  made  up  my  mind  to  come  to 
Birmingham  in  August ;  but  I  wish  to  conduct  only  my 
own  music,  as  in  former  years,  and  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  other  parts  of  the  programme.  I  cannot  yet 
give  any  promise  as  to  my  new  Oratorio,  but  hi  a 
month  or  two  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  for  certain 
•whether,  and  when,  I  can  send  it.  If  I  cannot,  I  wrould 
try  to  propose  something  else  of  my  new  music.  You 
•want  something,  whether  new  or  old,  for  the  Friday : 
would  the  "  "Walpurgisnacht "  do  for  it?  I  conducted 
it  only  once  in  England,  at  the  last  Philharmonic,  1844, 
and  they  seemed  to  like  it  then.  Or  would  the  music  to 
the  " Midsummer  Night's  Dream"  be  the  thing?  My 
Symphony  in  A  minor,  about  which  you  questioned  me 
in  one  of  your  former  letters,  lasts  about  thirty  five  to 
forty  minutes. 


Al'l-KMUX.  Sl'l 

And  if  you  can  have  Jenny  Lind  for  the  Festival,  by 
all  means  have  her,  for  we  have  now  no  singer  on  the  Con- 
tinent who  is  to  be  i-omparetl  to  her.  But  although  >ln- 
has  no  fixed  engagement,  neither  at  Berlin  nor  elsewhere, 
I  fear  it  will  be  difficult  to  make  her  come,  as  the}*  are  all 
mad  about  her,  and  force  her  into  more  engagements 
than  she  can  accept.  And  Pischek  would  also  be  the 
man,  I  am  sure!  But  he  is  known  already  in  England, 
and  if  you  get  Jenny  Lind,  it  will  be  such  a  novelty  at 
the  same  time,  and  will  give  a  new  character  to  the  Fes- 
tival. Now,  before  all,  I  hope  that  these  lines  may  find 
you  in  better  health,  that  your  indisposition  will  be  for- 
gotten long  before  they  arrive,  and  that  I  may  meet  you 
ag;un  in  perfect  strength  and  happiness!  With  mv 
wile's  and  family's  best  regards,  believe  me  always  to 
remain,  my  dear  Sir,  yours  very  truly. 

FELIX  MKNDELBSOIIX-BAR.THOLDY. 


•  To  J»x<;./t 

[Written  in  English.] 

LKK-ZIO,  January  17,  1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :    Yesterday  I  received  your  letter  of 
«,he  7ih,  and  answer  it  as  early  as  I  can.    My  Oratorio  is 

in  progress,  and  becomes  every  day  more  developed  ; 
but  whet  her  I  shall  be  able  to  finish  it  in  time  for  your 
preparations  is  another  question,  which  I  shall  not  b<- 
able  to  answer  positively  In-fore  fir-,  elapsed. 

It  will  then   be  the   middle   of   March,  more  than  five 
11 


322  APPENDIX. 

mouths  before  the  period  of  your  Festival,  and  if  I 
should  fail  in  my  efforts  of  ending  my  work  in  time 
(which  I  fully  hope  and  trust  to  do),  there  will  be  ample 
time  for  you  to  make  it  up  by  somethiug  else.  Your 
question  about  Jenny  Lind  is  very  important  to  the 
success  of  the  Festival,  as  I  consider  her,  without  hesi- 
tation, as  the  first  singer  of  the  day,  and  perhaps  of 
many  days  to  come.  But  I  am  not  able  to  undertake 
the  negotiation  which  your  chairman  would  intrust  me 
with,  as  I  know  how  much  she  is  surrounded  with 
engagements  of  all  sorts,  and  how  little  likely  it  is  that 
I  could  get  anything  like  a  positive  answer  from  her, 
unless  a  formal  application  from  the  committee  had 
previously  been  made  to  her.  It  is  by  no  means  certain 
that  such  an  application  would  be  successful,  but  at  any 
rate  I  think  it  the  only  way,  if  there  is  one.  When  you 
formally  wrote  to  me  about  the  sama»  subject,  I  was  at 
Berlin,  and  spoke  to  her  about  it ;  but  then  she  said  she 
should  not  go  to  England,  she  had  declined  it  already 
twice;  it  was  quite  impossible,  etc.,  etc.;  so  that  I  am 
sure  that  she  will  not  come  to  London  at  least  (for  I  did 
not  make  any  direct  inquiries  about  Birmingham  and 
the  Festival  at  that  time).  When  you  have  determined 
what  you  will  do,  and  if  you  have  written,  or  if  another 
(perhaps  at  Berlin)  has  negotiated  for  you,  pray  let  me 
know  of  it,  and  I  could  then  perhaps  be  of  some  use  in 
removing  some  difficulties  which  might  still  arise,  and 
in  persuading  her  to  accept  the  Festival,  which  I  should 
be  most  happy  to  do.  But  at  present,  I  am  afraid,  by 


APPENDIX. 

beginning  to  talk  or  correspond  with  Jenny  Li  ml  about 
tliis  subject,  I  would  do  your  cause  no  good,  and  I  there- 
fore beg  to  be  excused. 

My  opinion  about  the  new  text  to  the  "  Mount  of 
Olives,"  which  you  kindly  want  to  have,  is  that  this 
music  certainly  must  have  a  different  translation  from 
what  is  usually  done,  and  that  eveu  for  several  of  the 
concerted  pieces  there  ought  to  be  written  a  different 
poetry,  the  sense  of  the  German  words  being  contrary 
to  your  religious  feelings  on  the  subject  (as  well  as  to 
mine,  and  I  may  say  to  ours):  I  mean  particularly  those 
pieces  in  which  Christ  is  introduced  as  a  tenor  solo  with 
concerted  pieces,  arias,  etc.  But  I  should  *1r<nnjly  re- 
coinmcnd  not  to  take  a  poetry  which  t'/itinly  changes  the 
subject,  and  which  makes  a  David  in  the  wilderness  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives.  /  do  not  know  one  specimen  of 
such  an  attempt  having  been  successful,  and  I  think  I 
could  prove  it  to  be  impossible.  Besides,  this  music  and 
its  meaning  is  already  too  much  known,  and  too  man}* 
amateurs  are  aware  of  the  signification  of  every  piece ; 
they  would  never  be  pleased  with  such  an  alteration, 
and  it  would  produce  a  doubtful  if  not  disagreeable  sen- 
sation. Perhaps  the  best  way  would  be  to  introduce, 
instead  of  Christ  and  St.  Peter,  merely  voices  like  those 
of  witnesses  of  all  these  things — relating  the  events  his- 
torically, not  dramatically,  and  removing  entirely  the 
idea  of  an  Opera  in  which  these  holiest  names  are  in- 
troduced. But  it  would  require  a  very  skillful  poet 
indeed  to  make  even  these  alterations. 


324  APPENDIX. 

And  now,  many  many  good  wishes  for  your  health 
and  happiness  in  this  year,  and  in  very  many  more  to 
come,  and  always  believe  me  to  remain,  my  dear  Sir, 
truly  and  sincerely  yours, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOTIX-BARTHOLDY. 

6. 
To  Joseph  Moore,  E-tq. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  May  8, 1846. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  write  these  lines  to  inform  you  that 
I  intend  to  send  the  whole  of  the  first  part  of  my 
Oratorio  to  Mr.  Moscheles  in  the  course  of  the  next 
fortnight.  It  is  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  two  ;  the 
choruses  from  the  second  part  will  be  in  England 
toward  the  beginning  of  July,  and  the  rest  of  the  whole 
in  the  middle  of  that  month.  All  this,  "  Deo  volente." 

I  wish  Mr.  Bartholomew,  in  London,  who  has  trans- 
lated several  other  vocal  pieces  of  mine,  would  under- 
take also  this,  and  I  wish  he  might  take  advice  of  my 
friend  Mr.  Klingemann,  who  understands  both  languages 
thoroughly,  and  who  understands  my  music  better  than 
both  languages. 

The  most  essential  condition  for  my  Oratorio  is  a 
most  excellent  baritone  singer — a  man  like  Pischek,  or 
Staudigl,  or  Oberhofer.  Will  you  have  such  am.. 

[Here  the  letter  is  torn  away,  and  concluded  in  a  lady's 
handwriting,  thus :] 

Believe  me  always  yours  truly, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOHX-BARTHOI.DY. 


Al'i'KMHX.  325 


Monn  ,  K*q. 

[Written  in  English.] 

LEIPZIG.  August  2,  1S16. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  I  hear  this  moment  from  Mr.  Moseheles 
that  you  are  anxious  to  know  what  becomes  of  me  and 
of  my  Oratorio.  I  therefore  hasten  to  inform  you 
(although  I  am  sure  you  will  have  heard  it  before  this  ar- 
rives) that  the  last  portion  of  the  Oratorio,  except  a  song 
which  I  bring  over  with  me,  was  some  time  ago  sent,  off 
to  London,  and  that  the  instrumental  parts  have  been 
copied  here,  the  numbers  being  'as  you  indicated  in  your 
letter.  I  shall  make  a  rehearsal  of  these  parts  on 
}]~<'(ln<'*tl<ii/  nt.rt  with  the  orchestra  HERE,  (although  I 
have  not  one  vocal  part,)  in  order  to  save  the  English 
artists  the  time  of  correcting  faults  which  may  be  found 
here,  and  to  make  the  rehearsals  there  as  short  as  pos- 
sible. And  I  hope  to  be  in  London  on  the  l?th,  and 
shortly  afterward  at  Birmingham,  and  I  hope  to  find 
you  in  good  health  and  happiness,  and  very  glad  am  I 
t">  shake  hands  with  you  again  !  Always  very  truly 
yours, 

f  Y.I.  IX 


8. 

To  Joseph  Moore,  /:,'«/• 

.  TV  English.] 

LEIPZIG,  September  28,  1844. 

MV  X)EAR  SIR  :  I  have  now  returned  home,  found  all 
my  family  as  well  as  I  might  have  wished  ;  and  while  I 


326  APPENDIX. 

think  over  the  events  of  this  last  journey,  I  cannot  help 
addressing  these  few  lines  to  you,  in  order  to  express 
once  more  the  most  sincere  and  most  heartfelt  thanks 
for  your  very  kind  reception,  and  for  the  friendship  you 
have  again  shown  to  me  during  my  stay  at  your  house. 
Indeed,  the  first  performance  of  my  "  Elijah"  exceeded 
all  the  wishes  which  the  composer  may  feel  at  such  an 
important  moment,  and  the  evident  good-will  of  all 
the  artists  in  the  orchestra,  as  well  as  the  kindness  with 
which  the  audience  received  the  work,  will  be  as  long 
as  I  live  a  source  of  grateful  recollection.  And  yet  it 
seems  to  me  that  I  should  not  have  enjoyed  so  great  a 
treat  as  thoroughly  and  intensely  as  I  did,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  your  kindness  and  continued  friendship,  and 
for  the  comfortable  home  which  you  offered  to  me  dur- 
ing those  days  of  excitement  Our  quiet  morning  and 
evening  conversations  with  Mr.  Ayrton  and  Mr.  Webb 
are  to  my  mind  quite  connected  with  the  performances 
at  the  Town  Hall,  and  form  an  important  part  of  my 
Musical  Festival  at  Birmingham ;  and  while  I  should 
certainly  never  have  assisted  at  one  of  them  if  it  had  not 
been  for  our  very  old  acquaintance,  and  while  I  accord- 
ingly owe  to  you  the  whole  of  the  treat  which  this  first 
performance  of  " Elijah"  affords  me,  I  must  at  the  same 
time  thank  you  no  less  heartily  and  sincerely  for  the 
quiet  and  comfortable  stay,  and  the  friendly  reception  at 
your  house,  which  enhanced  all  those  pleasures  so  con- 
siderably. That  your  health  may  now  be  quite  restored 
again  after  the  fatigues  you  have  undergone,  and  that 


APPENDIX.  327 

we  may  soon  meet  again  (either  in  your  country,  or 
once  more  in  mine),  and  that  you  will  continue  the 
same  kindness  and  friendship  which  you  have  now 
shown  to  me,  and  which  I  always  met  with  from  you 
since  so  many  years,  is  the  most  earnest  wish  and  hope 
of  yours  very  truly  and  gratefully, 

FELIX  MEXDELSSOIIN-BARTHOLDY. 

9. 

To  Joseph  Moore,  E*q. 

[Written  in  English.]  MANCHESTER,  April  21, 1847. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  Many  many  thanks  for  your  very  kind 
note  and  invitation,  of  which  I  shall  be  most  happy  to 
avail  myself.  My  time  will  be  very  limited,  as  I  must 
assist  at  the  Philharmonic  Concert  in  London  on  the  26th, 
and  conduct  there  my  "Elijah"  on  the  28th  again.  I 
shall  therefore  arrive  at  Birmingham  on  the  27th,  just  in 
time  to  go  to  the  Town  Hall,  and  rehearse  at  half-past 
one,  and  must  leave  Birmingham  on  the  next  day  at  half- 
past  nine.  Now,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  shall  come  to 
your  house  immediately  after  the  rehearsal,  and  I  hope 
that  we  may  have  a  quiet  chat  after  the  concert,  or  the 
next  morning,  and  that  I  may  then  again  thank  you  for 
all  your  kindness,  present  and  past. 
Always  very  truly  yours, 

FELIX  MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY. 


No.  IV. 
EXTRACTS  FROM 

LETTEES  ON  OKGAN  MUSIC,  ETC. 


EXTRACTS  from  letters  of  Mendelssohn  to  the  late  3b 
Coventry,  music  publisher,  (written  in  the  English  Ian 
guage),  on  the  subject  of  organ  music — Bach's  Organ 
pieces,  edited  by  Mendelssolin,  and  Organ  Sonatas,  written 


1. 

Fr.AXKFORT,  Angust  29,  1844. 

According  to  your  wishes,  I  send  you  a  copy  of  the 
whole  of  my  collection  of  my  organ  pieces  by  Seb. 
Bach,  which  I  have  carefully  looked  over  and  corrected. 
(1)  15  grand  choral  Preludes;  (2)  44  little  choral  Pre- 
ludes ;  (3)  6  Variations  ;  (4)  11  Variations  ;  (5)  4  Pre- 
ludes and  Fugues.  Of  the  last  I  think  several  (if  not  all) 
have  already  been  published  in  Germany  or  England. 
Both  the  Variations,  I  believe,  have  never  been  published , 
as  also  the  greatest  part  of  the  44  and  of  the  15  Preludes. 
Perhaps  9  out  of  these  59  are  known  ;  all  the  rest  are  not. 

I  have  also  been  very  busy  about  the  organ  pieces, 
and  they  are  nearly  finished.  I  should  like  to  call  them, 


APIT:\I>I.X. 

"3     •  ill-   Orjran,"    instead    of    ]' 

Tell  me  if  you  like  this  title  as  \vell ;  if  not,  I  think  the 
name  of  Voluntaries  will  suit  the  pieces  also,  the  more 
so  as  I  do  not  know  what  it  means  precisely. 


FRAN*KFOI:T,  I).'<v!iil>i-r  17.  ISM. 

Pray  alter  the  inscription  -\vliich  is  to  he  found  at  the 
bottom  of  every  pa_r<-,  l-^igues,  etc.  Why  is  15  ich's  name 
always  connected  with  Fugues  ?  He  has  had  more  to 
do  with  Psalm-tunes  than  with  Fugues ;  and  you  call 
the  beginning  of  your  collection  Bach's  Studies,  which 
I  like  much  better.  Pray  alter  this,  and  call  it  either 
Studies,  Organ  pieces,  or  Chorales,  or  as  yon  like,  but 
not  Fugues.  Let  me  know  before  it  is  issued,  the  title 
which  the  \vorkis  to  have  in  English:  perhaps  you 
will  send  me  a  copy  of  it  with  the  next  proofs. 

I  hope  to  send  you  soon  the  promised  organ  pieces. 
9  are  read}',  but  I  want  to  have  12  before  I  make  a  par- 
cel of  them. 


FRANKFORT,  February  17,  1&45. 

As  a  title,  I  should  propose  :  "  John  Sebastian  Bach's 
Organ  Composition  on  Chorales  (Psalm-tunes),  edited 
by  Felix  M.-B.  Vols.  I.  and  II. :  44  Short  Preludes ;  vols. 
III.  and  IV.:  16  Grand  Preludes;  Vol.  V.  :  2  Chorales 
with  Variations."  But,  as  for  this  title  as  well  as  for  the 


330  APPENDIX. 

preface,  I  make  it  a  condit  on  that  you  submit  them  first 
to  my  friend  Klingemaun,  and  get  his  "  imprimatur,"  as  I 
dare  not  appear  before  the  English  public  without  this 
sanction. 

4. 

May  1,  1S45. 

I  beg  you  will  let  me  know  whether  a  letter,  which  I 
wrote  to  you  some  weeks  since,  has  reached  you  or  not. 
It  contained  the  communication  that  I  had  written  a 
kind  of  Organ-school  in  six  Sonatas  for  that  instrument, 
and  the  question  whether  you  would  like  to  have  the 
whole  work  or  only  one-half  of  it. 

5. 

May  20,  1S«. 

I  duly  received  your  favor  of  the  29th  April,  and,  as  I 
have  no  objection  to  your  dividing  my  Sonatas  into  two 
books,  I  was  very  glad  to  see  that  they  are  to  appear 
altogether  at  your  house.  I  even  think  it  would  be 
well  to  sell  each  Sonata  separately,  if  somebody  wants 
to  have  them  so;  but  it  must  always  be  with  the  title  of: 
"  Six  Sonatas,  etc.,  Nos.  1,  2,  etc."  Pray,  if  you  place  it 
into  the  engraver's  hands,  let  him  be  most  careful,  in 
order  to  get  a  correct  edition.  I  attach  much  importance 
to  these  Sonatas  (if  I  may  say  so  of  any  work  of  mine), 
and  accordingly  wish  them  to  be  brought  out  as  cor- 
rectly as  possible.  Perhaps  some  one  of  my  English 
friends  and  brother  organ-players  would  look  them  over 
for  me  (besides  the  usual  corrections  of  the  proofs). 


APPENDIX.  331 

6. 

August  8,  1845. 

You  will  see  that,  in  the  Prelude  and  Fugue  in  G 
major  (particularly  in  the  Prelude),  I  have  made  a  great 
imny  corrections  ;  this  is  owing  to  my  having  seen  a 
new  edition  of  this  piece  which  appeared  some  months 
ago  (at  Peters',  Leipzig,  and  Ewer's,  London),  and  in 
which  the  editor  says  he  has  had  Bach's  autograph  as 
an  authority.  Accordingly,  I  adopted  many  readings 
which  I  thought  evidently  better  than  those  of  my  copy, 
although  this  may  have  been  taken  from  another  auto- 
graph of  Bach's  (as  he  used  to  copy  out  his  own  things, 
and  introduce  alterations  in  every  new  copy). 

7. 

LEIPZIG,  March  20, 1846. 

I  send  the  proofs  of  the  Bach  through  a  correspondent 
at  Hamburgh  to  you,  and  hope  you  will  duly  receive 
them.  If  the  faults  which  I  corrected  are  carefully 
taken  out,  I  am  sure  it  will  be  a  good  edition.  Pray  be 
sure  that,  instead  of  "  per  organ  piano,"  there  should 
stand  everywhere  "  per  organ  pu'no."  I  wrote  down  a 
few  observations  to  serve  as  a  preface  to  the  15  grand 
choral  Vorspiele  ;  but  I  was  not  able  to  translate  them 
into  good  English,  and  I  therefore  send  the  German, 
and  beg  you  will  ask  somebody  to  translate  it.  But  I 
should  like  to  see  the  English  version  before  it  is  pub- 
lished. 


No.  V. 

LETTER  FROM  M.  F.  DAVID 

TO 

DR.     STERXDALE     BENNETT. 


LEIPZIG,  November  25,  1847. 

MY  DEABEST  FRIEND:  I  have  just  received  your  let- 
ter, which,  from  the  proofs  it  contains  of  your  continued 
friendship,  has  caused  me  the  greatest  joy.  But  it  has 
also  deeply  affected  me.  Yes,  we  have  indeed  suffered 
an  irreparable  loss.  How  shall  I  attempt  to  draw  a 
picture  for  you  of  this  recent  melancholy  period  !  This 
summer  in  Baden  and  in  Switzerland  I  found  Mendels- 
sohn bowed  down  with  sorrow  for  the  death  of  his 
sister.  After  he  had  in  some  degree  recovered  from 
the  first  shock,  he  began  to  work,  and,  as  his  wife  tells 
me,  with  almost  feverish  zeal — to  which,  indeed,  the  very 
many  works  he  lias  left,  begun  during  the  summer,  bear 
testimony.  After  having  composed  without  intermis- 
sion clay  after  day,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  passing  many 
days  in  succession  rambling  over  the  mountains,  return- 
ing home  much  sunburnt  and  exhausted,  when  he 
would  at  once  begin  again  to  compose:  in  short,  he  was 
in  the  greatest  state  of  excitement.  After  his  return 
here  (to  Leipzig),  he  was  certainly  in  a  very  serious 
mood ;  still  there  were  days  when  he  was  quite  cheer- 


333 

ful,  till  he  went  one  day  to  see  Fran  Frege,  when,  after 
she  iiad  sung,  to  the  piano,  his  newest  songs,  all  of  a 
melancholy  nature,  he  was  seized  with  his  first  attack  of 
illness.  At  lirst  no  great  importance  was  attached  to 
this,  although  the  symptoms  (hands  and  feet  as  cold  as 
ice,  stoppage  of  pulse,  and  some  hours  of  delirium) 
were  alarming  enough.  P>nt  as  lie  had  once  a  similar 
attack  here  seven  years  ago,  from  which  he  quickly  re- 
covered, none  of  us  dreaded  any  tiling  very  serious.  1 
saw  him  some  daysa  flerward,  and  found  him  again  in 
good  spirits,  although  lie  said  to  me,  "  1  feel  as  if  some 
one  were  lying  on  the  watch  for  me,  and  saying  > 
no  further!"  (''Halt!  nicht  welter!")  Twelve  days 
after  the  lirst  seizure,  I  was  with  him  between  eleven 
and  twelve  o'clock  ;  he  was  very  cheerful,  and  intended 
to  set  off  to  Vienna  in  a  few  days.  His  second  attack 
of  illness  occurred  in  the  afternoon,  but  he  rallied  from 
it  also ;  so,  though  now  very  uneasy,  we  were  not  wholly 
dispirited,  until  a  third  attack  came  on  seven  days  after 
the  second,  which  he  only  survived  till  the  evening  of 
the  following  clay.  Never  can  I  forget  Gade  coming  to 
me  at  the  Conservatorium  to  say  Mendelssohn  had  been 
seized  afresh  with  illness,  and  that  it  was  now  a  ques- 
tion of  life  and  death.  I  instantly  rushed  out,  and  was 
received  by  the  intelligence  that  all  hope  was  over.  I 
was  obliged  to  wait  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
being  sufficiently  composed  to  go  into  his  room.  He 
was  quite  unconscious  (ihis  was  on  Wednesday  eve- 
ning), and  cried  out  terribly  till  about  ten  o'clock.  He 


33-i 


then  began  to  make  sounds  of  instruments  with  his  lips, 
as  if  music  was  haunting  his  brain  ;  when  exhausted  by 
this,  he  again  uttered  a  cry  of  anguish,  and  remained  in 
the  same  state  all  through  the  night.    The  pain  seemed 
to  diminish  during  the  course  of  the  day,  but  his  face 
was  already  that  of  a  dying  man  ;    at  a  quarter  after 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he  died  !    The  most  gentle 
and  placid  smile  overspread  his  features.     I  will  not 
speak  of  myself;  you  can  feel  with  me,  and  with  us  all 
what  we  have  lost  in  him.    His  admirable  wife  is  com- 
posed, and  bears  with  touching,  pious  resignation  the 
sad  bereavement  with  which  God  has  afflicted  her.    I 
mean  to  go  to  her  to-morrow,  to  let  her  know  the  faith- 
ful sympathy  with  which  you  think  of  her.    How  I 
rejoice  to  hear  that  the  sorrow  is  so  universal  with  you  ; 
Leipzig  and  London  have  indeed  only  that  one  point  in 
common  —  the  highest  reverence  for  Mendelssohn.    How 
much  I  should  rejoice  to  see  you  here  ;  do  carry  your 
plan  into  execution.    It  is  not  probable  that  I  shall 
come  to  London.    I  could  scarcely  do  so,  totally  devoid 
of  all  musical  objects  ;  and  with  these,  it  would  be  rather 
a  burden  than  a  recreation  to  me.    My  wife  is  well,  and 
also  my  five  children.    Your  little  god-child  (born  on 
Mendelssohn's  birthday)  is  very  thriving.    I  will  deliver 
all  your  messages.    Write  to  me  soon  again.    You  say 
nothing  of  your  wife  ;  no  doubt  she  is  quite  well.    Pray 
give  her  my  kind  regards,  and  continue  your  affection 
for  your  attached  and  loving  friend, 

FERDINAND  DAVID. 


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